An Inside Look at Modern LSA Ownership

New Bristell LSA owner Don McKenzie takes FLYING deep inside the ownership experience, and details what it is like to own and fly one of general aviation’s best-looking light-sport models.

Dan Pimentel

Friday, December 03, 2021 at 11:22 AM ET

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Don's Bristell has some of the best lines of any light sport airplane and looks good from any angle. Courtesy: Don McKenzie

Key Takeaways:

Modern Light Sport Airplanes (LSAs), exemplified by Don McKenzie's Bristell, effectively dispel common pilot myths about them being slow, "twitchy," or only suitable for short flights, proving their capability for cross-country missions.
LSAs offer significant economic benefits, including substantially lower fuel consumption (e.g., 7 gallons per hour) and the flexibility to use cheaper fuels like mogas or 94UL, leading to considerable operational savings and a lower initial purchase cost compared to older legacy aircraft.
These aircraft provide enjoyable "sports car-like" handling with crisp controls and can be equipped with advanced modern avionics and IFR capabilities, making them versatile, fun, and well-suited for diverse flying needs.

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Since light sport airplanes became available to purchase in the general aviation marketplace, we’ve all heard pilots of larger, heavier, and faster legacy makes and models sometimes make negative comments under the assumption that LSAs were too slow, too “twitchy,” and, yes, even too ugly.

To dispel those myths, FLYING went inside the ownership experience with Don McKenzie, owner/pilot of a new 2021 BRM Aero Bristell LSA. After speaking to him, it is clear that much of what you might have thought about light sport airplanes is wrong.