The Zenith CH 750 STOL is an example of a popular E/AB kit airplane that can be flown with a sport pilot certificate. [Photo: Zenith Aircraft].
Key Takeaways:
The initial promise of affordable Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) was largely unmet due to "feature creep," making self-built experimental/amateur-built (E/AB) kits the primary option for cost-effective recreational flying.
Companies like Zenith Aircraft specialize in user-friendly E/AB kits designed for first-time builders, focusing on easy-to-fly designs with simpler construction.
Building an E/AB aircraft offers significant cost savings, potentially 50% less than a factory-built LSA, by allowing builders to control component choices and spread expenses over time.
Builders receive extensive support through manufacturer workshops, online communities, and organizations like the EAA, with the upcoming FAA MOSAIC regulations anticipated to further expand the E/AB and LSA market.
Back in 2004 when the FAA created the light sport regulations and the sport pilot certificate, it flooded the general aviation community with optimism that we’d soon see much more affordable GA airplanes coming to market. There was talk of many new models that could be bought brand new for under $100,000.
That was then, and this is now.
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Dan Pimentel is an instrument-rated private pilot and former airplane owner who has been flying since 1996. As an aviation journalist and photographer, he has covered all aspects of the general and business aviation communities for a long list of major aviation magazines, newspapers and websites. He has never met a flying machine that he didn’t like, and has written about his love of aviation for years on his Airplanista blog. For 10 years until 2019, he hosted the popular ‘Oshbash’ social media meetup events at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
