Sport Pilot Talk

dalewalt wrote:"broader" appeal. I see what you did there

Ha!

There are actually a lot of "plus sized" pilots that fly a Sonex in "bubba" mode. They build it with center stick controls, then sit in the middle of the bench seat with the stick between their legs and use the outer pedals. It's a one seat airplane when they fly that way, but it's one BIG seat! If they have to take a passenger, they just squish over to one side and the stick works as designed as a side stick in the right hand.

Here's one set up for Bubba Mode:

.......

This will sound a bit like a broken record, I'm sure. My sense is that GA generally and the promise of Light Sport aviation specifically would be measurably improved if there was a wider awareness of the entire LSA certified fleet to include the many LSA a/c that are quite affordable to buy and maintain. But mostly, we instead have two groups of high profile choices. The high ticket models that are heavily marketed (and priced higher as a result) and the 'cult aircraft' that have enjoyed a higher profile for one reason or another whether deserved in a commercial, comparative sense or not. So e.g. we have the RV-12 which is a fine a/c in its own right but has enjoyed a commercial tailwind because of Van's long standing reputation with E-AB (not LSA) a/c and also because of the tremendous support network available at vansairforce.com. It's that same context in which I place the Sonex (and it's 'nex kinfolk), given the geographical and professional association of the Monnett family, the EAA and the Oshkosh location they both share. I don't mean anything critical by that. My point is simply that if the Sonex had been introduced in 2014 and placed in the context of today's line-up of LSA aircraft, I doubt it would enjoy the acceptance nor earn the notoriety that benefits it today. Time has simply moved on and, for all the design cleverness and the large performance envelope available to the builder community, it looks and literally feels (when residing in the cockpit for any length of time) like last week's bread.

By contrast, consider the Panther (single seat) and Cougar (tandem seat, and still in development). To me this is the kind of LSA kit a/c that's contemporary in every respect: how it's designed to be home built, the wide envelope it offers the pilot since it can be built E-AB or E-LSA with a wide range of engine choices, and how it looks and 'feels'. This is all just my opinion, of course...but I can't imagine someone standing in front of a Sonex and Panther, parked side by side, without feeling they are seeing two different generations of home built LSA's, in much the same way a Tri-Pacer would look like parked next to a Cherokee.

https://flywithspa.com

Interesting comments Jack, thanks. Any insight on how a new pilot can investigate the different available planned out there? I'm specifically interested in a side by side, I'd rather not have a tandem or a single seater

The best source of info on available LSAs is probably http://www.bydanjohnson.com.

Thanks professor!