I'll admit it. I wasn't really seeing what the new Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) rules could do for aviation. Yes, the LSA rules are simplified and costs for a new airplane can be lower. And, yes, you can fly an LSA with a valid driver's license instead of an FAA medical certificate. But the first LSA offerings have been either versions of pumped up ultralights, or re-creations of classics such as the Piper J3 Cub. Why pay nearly $100,000 for a new Cub when the real thing in perfectly restored condition can be had for a fraction of that?
But Cessna boss Jack Pelton and his people do understand what an LSA can do for Cessna and for general aviation, and now I get it, too. Training is the answer. An LSA from Cessna has the potential to boost the flight training business to levels we haven't seen in decades.
If Cessna builds an LSA it will come in ready to train new pilots at less than $100,000 in today's dollars. If Cessna can't hold to that price, Pelton says the company won't build an LSA. That is about 60 percent below the price of a new Skyhawk, Cessna's lowest priced trainer now available, and that level of cost reduction will matter. And, for the first time, fuel bills matter in light singles compared to overall operating costs, and an LSA could nearly halve fuel expenses. A Cessna LSA could dramatically reduce the cost of learning to fly in a new airplane.
Cessna is not yet committed to building an LSA, but it did unveil a proof-of-concept airplane at Oshkosh. The sleek, high-wing single may have drawn more attention during the week than any other of the thousands of airplanes on display at Oshkosh. Everybody I spoke with made a special trip to examine it, and everyone had an opinion-nearly all positive.
There are several reasons an LSA from Cessna holds such great potential, but the most important are confidence, cost and style. Many in general aviation have wondered about the LSA certification standards that designate more of the task to the airplane manufacturer, with less monitoring by the FAA than for a standard airplane certification. Much of our aviation system operates under designated authority, whether it be a pilot examiner giving a check ride, or a designated inspector at a manufacturer certifying that a new airplane meets the requirements of the type certificate. We couldn't operate without the FAA designating much of its authority to people it tests and then monitors.
But up to this point the new LSA introductions have been from companies with little or no history in airplane production, and many are from outside the borders of the U.S. I don't think these are unqualified manufacturers, or that their inspectors don't know or don't follow the rules. But the bottom line is I just don't know. There is no history behind these LSA startups to provide confidence. A Cessna LSA would change all of that.
