Light Sport

As a pilot since 1996 and aviation journalist since long before that, I’ve always kept an eye open for what’s new and exciting, looking for innovation that we as an aviation family and industry can use to propel general aviation forward. Sometimes that means learning about the latest and greatest new aircraft, avionics, and programs […]

Bombardier Global 7500 Bombardier Aviation is ramping up deliveries of its flagship Global 7500 ultra-long-range business jet. The Canadian aircraft builder says the Global 8000, a slightly higher- powered and longer-legged aircraft, will for now remain only a development program. A company spokesman says, “Given that the majority of our orders are for Global 7500 […]

Founded in 2017 at South Texas Regional Airport in Hondo, Texas, startup Texas Aircraft Manufacturing (TAM) made a splash at last summer’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh when they introduced their new-generation Colt Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA). Now, just months later, the company has announced that the Colt has received full FAA ASTM (American Society for Testing […]

Learning to fly light sport aircraft—and those falling within the class called ultralights or microlights in Europe—opens up an affordable world of flying. Finding the right kind of airplane and flight training provider for you can make the difference in ensuring your enjoyment of the pursuit. In the United States, light sport aircraft fall into […]

The annual U.S. Sport Aviation Expo is well underway in Sebring, Florida. About 100 exhibitors are displaying their wares at the high-profile light-sport aircraft event. Check out some of the static displays of LSAs at this year’s Expo, which runs through Sunday.

Morning fog gradually gave way to sunny skies and pleasant temperatures near 80 degrees as the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo opened its doors to the LSA community yesterday at the Sebring Regional Airport in central Florida. It was a marked difference from last year’s show, when wind and rain put a damper on the five-day […]

Icon Aircraft recently launched two out of three planned flight training centers, one at the company’s headquarters in Vacaville, California and another in Tampa, Florida. The centers offer flight training for all levels of experience. Follow executive editor Pia Bergqvist as she practices flying the Icon A5 at the beautiful Lake Berryessa and Nut Tree […]

There has been a lot of controversy over the progress of Icon’s A5 production. There is no question that getting a high-rate production facility going, with all its bits and pieces, is a big challenge. In this video we take a closer look at the progress at Icon Aircraft’s final assembly site in Vacaville, California. […]

In a recent feature, we outlined some of the reasons light-sport aircraft are experiencing a resurgence in the general aviation industry — and why now is a good time to look into LSA ownership. Whether you’re in the market for an LSA or just enjoy looking at interesting airplanes, the aircraft below will give you […]

Small, simple, affordable: From vintage Piper Cubs to Aeronca Champs, Ercoupes, Taylorcrafts and Luscombes, these are the airplanes that kindled America’s love affair with general aviation in the 1930s and post-war 1940s. Their common appeal, of course, centered on their minimalist approach to construction, which made them easy to repair when they broke down or […]