SportStar is first LSA in Australia!

SilverWing Aviation is pleased to announce that the very first aircraft to be registered in Australia under the new Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category is an Evektor SportStar.

SportStar VH-CDR (see photo), delivered to Cloud Dancer Sport Aircraft, received its Special Certificate of Airworthiness as an LSA at Jandakot Airport, Perth, Western Australia at 3.00 pm on Friday 5 May 2006.

For all their work and commitment to gaining and issuing the certificate, many thanks are due to Alan Jupp, our inspector, Peter Snook our LAME and Rick Koch from CASA in WA.

We can now say with confidence that customers can take delivery of their SportStars and choose to register them VH-(Light Sport) or in the existing Recreational (RAAus) category.

The SportStar was also the first aircraft to be registered in April 2005 in the USA under similar LSA regulations.

The Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) is a new category of aircraft, originally introduced in the USA, which fits between current General Aviation (GA) aircraft such as Cessnas and Pipers, and Recreational Aviation. The aim of the LSA Category is to make flying simpler and more affordable for both aspiring and experienced pilots, yet retaining safety and high maintenance standards.

The Evektor SportStar is manufactured by the Czech Republic?s largest aircraft manufacturer alongside the European Eurostar and the GA retractable 4-seat Cobra aircraft. There are currently almost 600 SportStars/Eurostars flying in the world. High quality, safety and ease of maintenance are some of the key objectives which have enabled Evektor to gain a superb worldwide reputation for reliability as well as after sales service.

A22 Foxbat sales top 2 dozen

There are now 17 Foxbats flying in Australia, 4 more on order for customers and 3 flying in New Zealand. Many thanks to Mike Rudd, Foxbat owner in Victoria, for the photo.

Recently, the Foxbat has been re-certified in Australia based on a new German certificate, which includes the optional ballistic resue system. A $4,500 option, the rescue system has now been ordered by 4 customers, including John Gardon, current RA-Aus President. The Foxbat has an extremely low (and safe) stall speed, a great reputation for reliability, and no airframe problems, so in the past I have questioned the need for a rescue parachute - I would rather control my landing into wind if I had to go into the trees or water, than drift under a chute at the mercy of the wind - after all, it's not landing in the trees which is likely to do the damage but falling down through the branches to the ground.

However, John Gardon gave me one of the most powerful reasons I have heard for a parachute - what if the pilot becomes incapacitated (heart, brain, etc) and their passenger is not a pilot? Pulling the red rescue system handle would save at least one life! So think about that rescue system when you order your aircraft, it may be a relatively small price to pay for your passenger's (and maybe your own) life.

Learn to fly in a SportStar

Apart from private owners, currently there are 8 SportStars (with 2 more on order) in flying schools in Australia - including SE Queensland, Adelaide and Perth. Top time SportStar has now completed over 1,000 hours in training and hire, since August last year - quite some going! Other SportStars are now individually approaching 500 hours training and hire.

GA-orientated schools in particular appreciate the centre push-pull throttle with friction, full dual controls, differential toe-brakes and carburettor heat (all standard) which make transition to bigger GA aircraft much simpler than from some typical ultralights with hand brakes, throttles in odd places and usually no carby heat!

Airframe reliability has been excellent - the SportStar is designed with multiple use owners in mind: robust, easy/quick to service and readily available spares. In particular, oil, filter and plug changes are 'simplicity itself' (to quote one school owner) compared with some competitor aircraft.

There have been a couple of sales of previously loved SportStars and owners have been able to achieve high resale values - probably due in part to the full etch-primer corrosion proofing, mastic bonded joints and mastic filled rivets.

As in the rest of the world, SportStars in Australia are rapidly becoming the benchmark for high quality and equipment standards.

High- or low-wing??

SilverWing Aviation are Australian distributors for 2 main aircraft - the Evektor SportStar (low-wing) and the Aeroprakt A22L Foxbat (high-wing).

As a result, we are often asked about the pro's and con's of the wing position, including customers seeking advice and even, sometimes, a recommendation.

So what's best? The answer is: what's right for you! Here are a few pointers to help you decide.

High-wing pro's include
- easier to get into and out of (usually); this can be very important if your joints are getting a bit creaky, or your knees just don't bend enough to step up on the top of a low-wing.
- you have a wonderful view downwards. My wife loves taking photos of agricultural patterns and even just peering into people's gardens (from a suitable height of course!) and a high-wing aircraft makes both these very easy.
- some people say it's easier to land a high-wing aircraft because you can see the runway coming up to meet the wheels and gauge height more easily; in reality, it's just a matter of what you get used to. After all, we can drive tall 4WD vehicles or small low sportscars and learn to gauge speeds and corners just the same!
- high-wing aircraft usually offer better protection from direct sunlight. However, there has been a recent trend to extend the windshield rearwards to compete with low-wing turning and upward visibility advantages. This has led to more exposure to the sun.

High-wing con's include
- poor visibility in turns. The inside wing dips into your field of view, so you are turning blind. It is not just co-incidence that most experienced ag pilots fly low-wing aircraft: the view when turning cannot be matched by a low-wing aircraft.
- high-wing aircraft are more likely to 'nose-over' in the event of a rough or bad landing. This is because the weight (ie the wing) is carried high, particularly if the wing also carries the fuel, and simple physics determines that you're more likely tip forward if you come to a rapid stop.
- the top surface of the wing creates most of the lift. Although it is fun washing your new high wing aircraft, it soon becomes a chore - particularly to wash and clean the top of the wing. The dirtier it gets, the more the lift is affected!
- finally, if the fuel tanks are in the wings, you need to lift the fuel up there somehow. No problem with steps and a bowser, but more tricky with a 20 litre can.

Low-wing pro's include
- mostly the opposite of the high-wing. Great visibility in turns, easy to re-fuel, less likely to nose-over, easier to clean the top surface of the wing (but evil to wash under the wing!).

Low-wing con's include
- mostly the opposites of the high-wing. Can be more difficult to enter/exit, view directly downwards is obscured by the wing, less protection from direct sunlight, etc.

Needless to say, manufacturers are aware of all the pro's and con's of their aircraft type and in many cases have done their best to minimise the con's and maximise the pro's. Look for:

- high-wings with extended windshields, or even transparent panels in the roof (to allow a better view into turns); low-wings with easy entry/exit (very low wings or even steps); high-wings with fuselage fuel tanks (but beware the safety of having fuel close to the pilot/passenger); low-wings with effective sun protection (tinted canopies/sunshields).

Whatever you decide, it's better to be up there flying in something than on the ground wishing!