That’s how it is supposed to go—and often it does go that well, provided you do your homework before you launch for the big event.

If this is your first flight to a given airshow or fly-in, look for a pilot who has made the trip before and is willing to share information. You might even find someone who will make the flight with you.

Pick the route that works best for your aircraft, keeping in mind performance, especially when it comes to climbing over any high terrain on the way. A turbocharged Cessna T182 might not have any trouble, but the pilot of the vintage Taylorcraft might take a longer route that keeps the airplane over lower terrain.

Consider using supplemental oxygen. Though the regs say that the minimum flight crew needs to be on supplemental oxygen at 12,500 feet after 30 minutes, most pilots begin to experience hypoxia at much lower altitudes—sometimes as low as 6,000 feet—so be prepared.

Know how to calculate performance and use the avionics you’re flying with. You don’t want to be the pilot randomly pushing buttons to update a flight plan while hurtling through the air.

Be conservative about weight and balance as well as performance. While it is tempting to overload your aircraft by ‘just a little’ with all the gear you want for camping, it can come back to bite you. Remember, the OEM determined the calculations in the POH using a new airplane and a test pilot at the controls.

Have at least two methods for updating your preflight briefing in the air—a tablet and com radio, for example—and always carry a backup handheld radio. If you’ve never used a payphone (these people walk among us—payphone operation is now part of my curriculum), learn how to use it. There are places that lack cell service but still have a payphone on location, believe it or not.

Pack water and snacks for the trip, and be wary of dehydration and hunger as they make you sleepy. Drink some water before the approach to landing, as water wakes you up—and an alert pilot is a better pilot.

Plan each leg of the flight meticulously. Be careful that get-there-itis does not cloud your judgment. Build in extra days, and ID places to divert to on each leg.

Make sure you are night current and proficient before you begin the journey. There are times when a pilot finds themselves playing “beat the clock” in an aircraft not certified for night flight because the last flight segment went longer than they anticipated.

For navigation, use a combination of digital and analog methods—if the digital goes tango uniform, the paper could save your trip. Make sure both paper and digital materials are current. You do not want to fly with a sectional years out of date and enter Class D airspace thinking it’s a Class E airport—only to learn the airport now has a tower.

Be conservative about fuel burn. Make a list of all the airports that have fuel, located along your route and within 20 miles off to each side, just in case.

If you are flying with a copilot or a companion, have a discussion about cockpit duties before you leave the ground. With a copilot, make sure to designate who is the ‘pilot flying’ and who is the pilot monitoring and fielding radio calls and programming avionics.

If they are not a pilot, you can still assign them the task of watching for traffic and dialing in frequencies on the com side.

Airshow NOTAMs

By regulation, specifically FAR 91.103: “Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight.” This means the pilot needs to know what weather to expect, be familiar with the forecasts, fuel requirements, aircraft takeoff and landing data, weight and balance, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC. If your intended destination is an airshow or fly-in, this regulation is now on steroids—expect to find a multi- page notice to air missions (NOTAM) released several days before the event.

The larger the fly-in, the larger the NOTAM. Pay special attention to the communication procedures. If the airport is non-towered, it is likely that a temporary control tower will be brought in for the event. The procedures are created to lessen frequency congestion.

Instead of having hundreds of pilots all talking at once, it’s often one radio call made over a specific landmark to establish contact. Rock your wings when recognized, then follow instructions for landing.

Most NOTAMs have traffic pattern diagrams imposed on Google Earth images for illustration—it’s easy to see where you should be and where you need to avoid when you have an image to refer to.

Pilots who have flown into airshows before—like Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo and EAA AirVenture—recommend having a hard copy of the NOTAM with you in the cockpit along with any digital presentation. Paper doesn’t run out of batteries.

Even if you have flown into this particular event before, still study the NOTAM, as they are often adjusted year to year—for example, traffic patterns may be altered to move aircraft away from heavily populated parking areas.

Skills for the Airshow Arrival

Brush up on specialty takeoffs and landings, crosswind approaches, and go-arounds before you head out on the great adventure. You do not want to be rusty flying into an airshow.

There is a maneuver you were probably not taught as a student pilot but you need it to establish communication and many of these events—that is rocking the wings of the aircraft.

It sounds simple enough, but the controllers who ask the airplanes to identify themselves by rocking their wings really want to see you rock those wings. Make that airplane thrash around like a 10-year-old who has had a frog put down their shirt—but don’t stall or roll inverted.

Practice approaches, especially short approaches and precision landing technique, because “land on the green dot” means land on the green dot.

Study the airport diagram for the facility and know where you will be expected to park. Usually, airshows have ground marshalers, often people on scooters wearing safety vests with FOLLOW ME on the back.

Remember to watch your wingtips as you taxi, especially when there are lots of people around. Though there may be designated pathways for pe- destrians, some people drift outside of their lanes. You don’t want to be the pilot of the Cessna 172 who hits someone in the back of the head with your wing while you taxi, or the guy in the Beechcraft Baron who decides to ignore the ground handlers and taxi into the grass—putting the nosewheel into a gopher hole, resulting in two propeller strikes.

And, in the end, if you are delayed getting to the event, learn from the experience—and realize that it will make a better story to be told around the campfire.

The post A Fond Memory: Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo 2023 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A pilot himself, Drury suspected they had landed their seaplane at Lake Dora, a short walk from the bar. His hunch proved correct. “They said, ‘We just splashed in, in that seaplane. It’s kind of hard to get from the water to the restaurant…but you get a pretty good hamburger and a pretty good meal here.’”   

As the newly appointed city administrator for Tavares, it was just the inspiration Drury needed.  

Realizing that the city was uniquely positioned in the center of the state, he thought, “Wouldn’t this be a great refueling location” for seaplanes headed to and from the Florida Keys and the Bahamas?

When he looked for an historic tie-in that would align the city with seaplanes, Drury hit the jackpot. He says he found evidence that in February 1914, Tony Jannus—the world’s first airline pilot—landed his Benoist flying boat on Lake Eustis, on the city’s northeast border. He also discovered that Clara Adams, an early aircraft passenger and advocate for aviation transportation who became known as a “First Flighter” and the “Maiden of Maiden Flights,” landed on that same lake a month later. The discovery was the spark that ignited economic revival for the city. 

Sold on the idea of revitalizing the city’s economy by turning it into a seaplane destination, city officials approved an initial $8.3 million bond to create the Tavares Seaplane Base and Marina. The FBO opened in 2010 and today, Tavares is officially branded as “America’s Seaplane City.” 

FBO Facilities

The public-use seaplane base includes on-water and on-land refueling stations that offer 100LL and mogas, a 90-octane non-ethanol fuel favored by seaplanes; a non-towered airport terminal with weather reporting and a unicom; a 60-foot-wide designated seaplane ramp; paved parking with tie downs to accommodate 10 to 12 amphibious aircraft; and a 3,000-foot FAA-approved, east-west runway (FA1) on Lake Dora.

The city was so committed to its vision of establishing “America’s Seaplane City” that in 2012 it passed an ordinance protecting the airport zone from future land use and structural development that might encroach upon its operations. 

A business-friendly entertainment district that’s walking distance from Lake Dora was established, as well as an events center, an outdoor stage, and a children’s park with a splash pad that features a life-size aircraft replica. “We took a civic-entrepreneurial approach to government…We felt like if we invest in ourselves, others will invest in us. And they did. Tens of millions of private dollars followed from the dollars that were invested in the city,” Drury says.

The Transformation

Kendall Clutts, the aviation manager for the city, grew up in Tavares. “As a kid, Tavares was just kind of a middle of nowhere, rural town…If you wanted to go out to eat, you had to drive an hour,” he says. Clutts graduated high school in 2012 and was gone for about five years at college and starting his career. When he came back home, he was pleasantly surprised. “It was a 100 percent turnaround. It is a different downtown.”

According to Bob Tweedie, director of economic development for Tavares, since creating the FBO, 24 new businesses, including the lakefront Key West Resort with 64 guest rooms, have opened. The population has also increased from less than 10,000 full-time residents in 2010 to 20,000 today. Some of this Tweedie attributes to natural growth, but he says the city’s enhancements to and beautification of the waterfront, along with the new businesses downtown, also make it a more attractive place to live. 

A report prepared by the Florida Department of Transportation, estimates that in 2019 the Tavares airport generated $39.3 million in direct and indirect economic impact for the region. An updated study is planned for later this year.

Tweedie says the seaplane base was a catalyst for upgrading and expanding the city’s lakefront park, its boating facilities and adjacent greenspace, and adding a robust schedule of 24 annual events that “literally bring tens of thousands of people here, both locally and from outside the area.” 

Two of those events are seaplane focused. Up to 80 aircraft over a weekend and roughly 1,000 visitors typically show up to the splash-ins, Clutts says. An air boss is hired to help manage arrivals and departures, as well as an aerial display and seaplane contests. The spring Seaplane-A-Palooza event serves as an unofficial kickoff for the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo, a fly-in and airshow held annually at nearby Lakeland. This year’s spring splash-in will be combined with the city’s Planes, Tunes, and BBQ festival and will be held April 1 and 2. 

Serious Seaplane Business

Contributing to the airport’s economic impact is Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey, which manufactures and sells two models of light sport amphibious aircraft and an experimental, taildragger flying boat kit.

The company operates its own 3,000-foot private runway (3FA8) on Lake Idamere, three miles southwest of downtown Tavares. President of Progressive Aerodyne, Kerry Richter says the airport is mostly used by the company for demo flights and customers, but they don’t mind if an occasional non-SeaRey aircraft splashes-in either. Formerly located in Orlando, city officials persuaded SeaRey to pick up its chocks and move 40 miles north, shortly after the seaplane base opened in 2010.

“We turned them down twice and they upped the ante. They actually funded the move for us,” Richter says. “It was probably one of the best decisions we ever made. It put us right on the lake, in a nice building and we just taxi to the water and go flying now.”

Tavares is also home to Jones Brothers & Co. Air & Seaplane Adventures, which offers seaplane rides and tours, Part 135 charter excursions—and a Part 61 flight school that trains pilots for high-performance and complex single-engine seaplane ratings.

The former owner of Jones Brothers & Co., Rob Galloway, sold the company a year ago and now serves as its designated pilot examiner. He said the business blossomed over the decade that he owned it, especially on the flight training side. “At the very beginning, back 10 years ago, it was 90 percent sightseeing and 10 percent flight training. We might have done like five students in a year, or something like that. Now, we do more than five students in a week.” 

With 7,000 seaplane flight hours, Galloway says landing on the water opens up opportunities that aren’t available to regular aircraft. “We get people at Jones Brothers with all kinds of backgrounds and experiences in aviation and most of the time you hear people say, ‘This is the most fun flying I’ve ever done.’”  

Waterway Approach

One of the only challenges to landing at FA1 is boat traffic, which on some weekends can be heavy. But Galloway says, from “your birds-eye-view,” it’s pretty easy to find a good landing lane. 

FA1 has a VFR-only approach, and the runway is only open during daylight hours. As in any body of water, it’s important to assess the surface before touching down. “You want to look at water conditions, choppiness. Once you get above 10 knots of wind, you will start to see some white capping… It makes it a bit bumpier of a landing,” Galloway says. “So typically, you’ll want to find an area that’s protected from the wind and try to land there, where it’s a little more calm.”

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On the flipside, truly calm wind conditions can make landing difficult, as well. “If you have an extremely calm day, the water is so smooth…it’s actually the most difficult [landing] because you can’t judge where the surface is,” he says. “You have to be trained well to do glassy water landings.”

At Tavares, glassy water is usually not an issue. On most days, the winds range from 5 to 10 knots, which is the “sweet spot” for seaplanes, Galloway says.    

Boats and aircraft share the lake—usually amicably, Clutts says. Following a direct hit from Hurricane Irma in 2017, the city rebuilt its docks and beachfront, which allowed it to create some additional separation for the aircraft and boats. The shoreline can now accommodate up to 20 aircraft on floats or up to 60 boats. There’s also a newly refurbished 340-foot dock “that was built with seaplanes in mind,” Clutts says. The rebuilt boat marina, with 80 slips, is now located west of the seaplane base and has its own designated boat ramp. 

According to Clutts, who along with his staff hand counts operations (takeoffs) at the FBO, most of the traffic at FA1 is light sport aircraft, including SeaReys, Super Cubs, and Huskies, but Twin Otters and Grumman G-44 Widgeon are also common—and even an Albatross has flown in. The Albatross anchored offshore. The three years prior to COVID-19, operations at the seaplane base averaged roughly 3,000 per year. That number shrank to 1,700 in 2020 when a lot of the local festivals had to be canceled, but climbed back to 2,000 in 2021.

Projected Growth for Amphib Market

Given the healthy state of seaplane sales, these numbers may soon rebound to pre-COVID figures. A 2021 Fortune Business Insights report projects the global amphibious aircraft market will more than double from $159.2 million in 2020 to $358.1 million by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 11.7 percent. The report projects the greatest growth for light weight, turboprop aircraft operating in the civil segment, with North America dominating the global market. 

Joey Graham, director of sales and marketing at Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey, says he’s already seeing this projected growth. “Last year was the best year Progressive Aerodyne has had in the last four,” he says.

He says the pandemic, which forced people to stay in place and save money, also created a pent-up desire to spend. “As a result of COVID, a lot of people realized tomorrow’s not guaranteed, and they’re finally pulling the trigger on something that for some people has been a lifelong dream and for others it’s a new journey for them,” Graham says. 

SeaRey kit airplane sales have also increased. “For most kit manufacturers, sales are way up, with a one and a-half to two-year backlog,” he says.

Kevin Oaks, the seaplane specialist for Aviat Aircraft, manufacturers of the Husky A-1 series—which comes with a float package option—says sales are also up at Aviat. He says 2020 was a record year for Husky sales; 2021 was a close second, and 2022 is starting strong. “Just in the last three to four months, we’ve sold three Huskies directly on floats. We’ve had people order them as seaplanes,” Oaks says. “That’s a good number of them; normally we would do that in a year.” 

Florida Seaplane Experience Center

Oaks, who lives and works in Florida, says the Tavares FBO helps him sell more aircraft. “I use the Tavares base as kind of a customer experience center, because it’s very representative of why somebody would want a GA airplane just for recreational use. They’ve got fuel there, restaurants…and a nice wide, paved ramp. Especially for someone who’s more of a novice, it’s a great place to confidently come and go as a destination.” 

• READ MORE: Seaplane Adventures for Pilots

According to seaplanebase.com, there are 49 FAA-designated seaplane airports in the state of Florida—and 489 in the U.S. Galloway says most of these, however, are not public-use runways.

“A lot of them are, someone has a seaplane and they want a designated seaplane base in their backyard. There are very few that are true public seaplane bases with services.” 

Oaks would agree. “[In Florida] I don’t really think there’s anything comparable to Tavares…Perhaps the Miami seaplane base, which is in salt water, is kind of similar, but not as good. There’s a lot of commercial operations in and out of there.” 

A Model for Other Communities

Steven McCaughey, executive director of the Seaplane Pilots Association, is admittedly Tavares’ “biggest fan.” He uses the FBO as a model in discussions with other waterfront cities that are considering adding seaplane facilities. “We believe that there’s a lot of potential for other communities to replicate the formula, even if they don’t do it at the same scale as Tavares has done,” he says. 

According to McCaughey, it can be challenging for cities to attract state or federal funding to establish a seaplane FBO, as to justify the funding, they require hundreds of operations per month—which is more than most seaplane bases can achieve. Still, he says, the long-term economic benefits can be worth the initial investment, pointing to Tavares as an example. 

“Tavares is really my poster child of our ultimate dream of civic support and of the non-flying community supporting seaplanes.”

Fees By the Numbers

There are no daily-use fees for either the dock or seaplane apron at the Tavares Seaplane Base.  Overnight tie-down fees, as of January 2022:

• Multiengine:
  • Overnight: $12
  • Weekly: $72
• Single engine:
  • Overnight: $10
  • Weekly: $60
• Light sport:
  • Overnight: $8
  • Weekly: $48

The post A City Transformed by Aviation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A Husky on floats forms nearly the perfect summer fly-away machine—if the pilot’s destination involves lakes or rivers in remote areas. Wipaire, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2020, announced on April 5 that it has delivered 500 of its popular 2100A float kits, with the latest going to a customer to be put on an Aviat A-1C-180 Husky.

“The Wipline 2100A is the best-selling float in its class. This milestone delivery reflects the durability and reliability of the design and construction. Since the first set was certified in 1997, this model of amphibious float has remained number one choice for owners of smaller aircraft,” said Chuck Wiplinger, president and CEO of Wipaire, Inc, “We want to thank our employees for reaching this historic delivery and all the customers who trust us with their aircraft.”

Attendees at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo can see the Husky with the floats on display on Friday, April 16, at the Wipaire booth (MD-032D). The floats are available in both amphibious or straight (seaplane) configurations, and the floats feature two large-sized hatches, measuring 20 3/8 inches by 10 1/2 inches and able to carry up to 50 lbs each. The floats are crafted with aluminum skins and laser-cut with pre-punched rivet holes for easy repairs.

The post A Milestone Passes for Wipaire’s Popular 2100A Floats appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When you and your bank account finally decide it is time to buy a new airplane, the choices vary widely in price, features and mission. Every make and model has specific mission capabilities that offer the owner-pilot the most efficient return on investment, and where you settle on the “mission” question ultimately determines the price you pay and the feature set you require.

The choices of single-engine or multiengine piston- powered aircraft range from small two-seat models for pure affordable recreational flying to high-end luxury models, with a price tag to match. Let’s take a look at a few makes and models currently available.

A great first airplane for many budgets is the new Texas Aircraft Colt. With a manufacturer’s base price of $167,000, it’s an affordable light-sport choice that sips fuel as you go have some fun in the sky. However, with the choice of a Dynon SkyView HDX or Garmin G3X and GTN 650 avionics, all-aluminum construction, and stout landing gear, the Colt is suitable for flight training use as well.

Pilots who have been around aviation for a while will be drawn to the new Cessna Skyhawk, Skylane and Turbo Stationair HD from Textron Aviation. All three models deliver a lineage born from decades of dependable aviation manufacturing, and while the Skyhawk, Skylane and Stationair might look like your granddad’s Cessna 172, 182 or 206 from afar, these new models are supremely refined. The Skyhawk of today is flown behind a capable Garmin G1000 NXi glass panel, with an interior look and feel that is far superior to the well-loved 172 you might have trained in back in the day. The Turbo Stationair is equally refined with a similar G1000 NXi avionics suite, and it will carry the exceptional load that has always drawn owner-pilots to the legacy 206. Room for six people on upgraded seating plus the model’s signature double aft doors make loading all those people and cargo easy. The Skylane 182T hits the sweet spot in the middle, in terms of mission, with four seats and substantial flexibility in both payload and performance. You will pay a premium for today’s Cessna models compared to decades ago but will enjoy the same legendary performance, serviceability and dependability.

Check out more: 2020 Flying Buyer’s Guide

If flying the backcountry is your desired mission, the CubCrafters XCub or Aviat Husky A-1C-200 will suit that mission well. The XCub is designed for exceptional STOL performance, and while it is designed to be rugged, plenty of passenger comforts have been added. With the panel centered around Garmin’s 10.6-inch G3X flight display, pilots will be able to wind their way safely through canyons with ease.

The Aviat Husky A-1C-200 is also designed to get in and out of the smallest, most-demanding backcountry strips by offering the pilot plenty of horsepower from the Lycoming IO-360-A1D6 engine while sipping just 7.6 gph at 55 percent power. If you want to conduct extreme STOL operations, this backcountry hot rod makes it happen.

For owner-pilots focused on long-range cruising, Beechcraft’s Bonanza G36 should be a strong contender for your dollars. Like the decades of Bonanzas that came before, the G36 is fast, comfortable and well-built. The Garmin G1000 NXi panel allows serious IFR flying, which makes the G36 a great choice as a first business airplane. Another solid cruiser is Piper’s Archer LX, which draws heavily on the familiar Cherokee family. With its fine leather seats and G1000 NXi panel, pilots who have previously flown an older Cherokee will quickly realize this is a seriously upgraded airplane.

One model that percolates to the top of many a pilot’s wish list is Diamond Aircraft’s DA40. The company is known for engineering a high level of safety into each model, and the DA40 is a super stylish, well-built airplane for the first-time owner or seasoned IFR aviator. The sexy ramp appeal of the DA40 comes as standard equipment.

When your budget is on the higher end, the Cirrus SR22 series is the logical choice for a perfect blend of speed, safety, comfort and capability. Available in many package levels starting at $654,900, you pay for the privilege of flying one of the most capable single-engine airplanes available today. The Cirrus Perspective Plus avionics suite by Garmin, 310 hp Continental IO-550-N engine, Cirrus Airframe Parachute System and gorgeous premium interiors make the SR22 family about as good as it gets in personal or business flying.

This story appeared in the November 2020, Buyers Guide issue of Flying Magazine

The post The Perfect Single-Engine Piston Airplane for You appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A successful third edition of Flying Aviation Expo included some notable firsts that made the show in Palm Springs, California, over the weekend one that attendees will be talking about for a long time to come.

It was the first time the show was held at the Palm Springs International Airport after moving from the downtown convention center where it was held the previous two years. The change in venue allowed for a broader variety of aircraft, adding airplanes that are simply too large to be taken through city streets to the convention center — including the HondaJet, Cessna Citation M2 and Embraer Phenom 100.

The show also featured the first-ever live debate between two of aviation’s most colorful educators as John King and Rod Machado faced off over the new Airman Certification Standards. Moderated by Flying Editor-in-Chief Stephen Pope, the debate was spirited, informative, funny and at times testy as John and Rod poked fun at each other and traded barbs. In the end, they hugged it out on stage as the capacity crowd cheered.

In another first, Saturday night featured a James Bond-themed party at the Palm Springs Air Museum highlighted by the surprise arrival of renowned aerobatic helicopter pilot Chuck Aaron, who landed in his specially modified Bo105 — the same stunt helicopter from the James Bond movie Spectre. Out of the helicopter stepped Aaron in his trademark sandals accompanied by Sal Valentinetti, the 21-year-old America’s Got Talent finalist, who blew the crowd away with his incredible voice as he belted out Frank Sinatra hits — starting, fittingly, with Come Fly with Me.

Sponsored by Flying magazine, the show held Oct. 20-22 has a new owner, luxury eyewear and watchmaker Scheyden, which has had a major presence at Aviation Expo since the inaugural show in 2014. The change of venue to the airport was a success, said Scheyden founder Jeff Herold, who noted that holding the event at an airport offered many advantages — though not without challenges.

“I will never forget the first time I arrived on Taxiway Golf at Palm Springs International Airport,” he recalled. “Two abandoned hangars, tumbleweeds, bird nests, and even a dead rodent here and there. A quarter-mile-long taxiway with hangars on both sides and plenty of room for static display and exhibit booths. As pilots we all see airports differently than most people, and in this case our vision for the new site of Flying Aviation Expo could not have been more appealing.”

A favorite spot at the show was the Oasis viewing area, a tent right next to the runway with picnic tables and music where attendees could relax, watch airplanes takeoff and land, and escape from the afternoon heat, which reached 90 degrees under cloudless skies.

“The new show site was truly impressive,” said Flying Editor-in-Chief Stephen Pope. “The Expo team was able to create an aviation village at the airport that made this show extra special. I heard from many attendees who said they loved the venue and are looking forward to the show remaining at the airport — I could even imagine putting on a mini airshow there in the future.”

More than 1,100 cards were turned in for Wings credit by pilots who attended 40 educational seminars and tech talks. Attendance, at nearly 2,000 people, was somewhat less than had been anticipated, but it was a fantastic crowd, organizers said.

“The common sentiment from exhibitors at our event was, though the traffic is not heavy it is certainly qualified,” Herold said.

Cirrus Aircraft, which brought two airplanes to the show, said it sold a 2017 model to a customer, who signed his purchase contract on the spot. The show static display also included a Pilatus PC-12, Piper M500, Cessna TTx and 182, Beechcraft Baron, Mooney Acclaim, Epic LT, Diamond DA62, Glasair Sportsman, Aviat Husky, Searey amphibian and others.

Plans are already underway for next year’s show, which organizers say will be held Oct. 19-21, 2017.

The post Memorable Flying Aviation Expo Rocks Palm Springs appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Several aviation and tech industry leaders have joined Flying Aviation Expo’s weekend lineup, which promises to be packed with aircraft displays, educational workshops and seminars.

The acclaimed HondaJet and Cessna Citation M2 will be on exhibit during the expo at the Palm Springs International Airport from October 20–22. Other aircraft displays will include the Aviat Husky, Searey amphibian, Cub Crafters XCub, Eclipse 550, Cirrus SR22, Cessna TTx, Beechcraft Baron and airplanes from Pilatus, Mooney, Lancair and more.

Tesla has also joined the roster with previews and demo rides of its Model X and Model S electric vehicles. Also in the category of ground transportation, URB-E, a foldable-electric-scooter manufacturer, and Pedego Electric Bikes will be on site with displays and demos of their folding electric bicycles and scooters, offering pilots a convenient method of transportation that fits into small aircraft.

“For many of us, travel is nearly a requirement of life. To learn how to travel on our own safely is the entire essence of this event,” says Jeff Herold, Scheyden president and Aviation Expo LLC principal. “We live in a country that has more freedoms than any other country in the world, in regard to personal travel. Aviation truly can be a lifestyle that can take you places.”

The post HondaJet, Cessna M2, Tesla and More Join Flying Aviation Expo Lineup appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If you’ve always dreamed of flying taildraggers in the backcountry, here’s your chance. Afton, Wyoming-based Aviat Aircraft is offering what they’ve named “The Husky Flying Experience,” which will take place June 20–24.

What promises to be the ultimate summer camp for pilots will begin with a tour of the Aviat factory on Tuesday morning. After a few hours of flying around the Wyoming backcountry with landings at a few challenging air strips, the group will land at Sulfur Creek Ranch (ID74), where it will be offered a slew of fun activities such as fishing, hiking and horseback riding, and enjoy a nice dinner by the fireplace in the lodge. Accommodations will be provided at ID74 in private cabins. The second day and evening will provide much of the same activities in the air and on the ground.

The backcountry fun will continue on Thursday, when the group will return to Afton at the end of the day.

The Husky Flying Experience costs $8,500 and includes the airplane, instructor, fuel, meals, lodging and more. The only requirement to attend is being a pilot with a current medical certificate.

The post Husky Experience Offers Backcountry Fun appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“If you end up at a mucky beach you don’t have to get out and push,” said Aviat’s president Stu Horn. “You just put it in reverse.” The attached video also shows the pilot’s ability to park the airplane in a hangar by using the reverse function.

A combined electric and hydraulic system activates the reverse function through a switch in the panel. Flight Resource’s founder Larry Schlasinger said a safety prevents the operation of the system above 40 knots, and the engine must spin below 1,200 rpm.

Schlasinger said the Chicago Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) was terrific to work with and he is now working on the same STC for a long list of Cessna single-engine airplanes. He also plans to continue with other manufacturers’ models, such as Cirrus, Beechcraft and Mooney.

Horn said the optional reversible MT propeller adds about $30,000 to the purchase price of a new Husky. The system will also be available for aftermarket installations from Flight Resource and other dealers for $25,875 plus shipping and installation, Schlasinger said. The STC can be completed by any facility approved for major repairs and installations. Schlasinger estimates the time of installation to be approximately 12 hours and expects to have propellers in stock starting July 1. The STC is available on both the two-bladed and three-bladed MT propellers.

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The post Video: Reverse Taxi in a Husky appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Stuart Horn, CEO of Aviat Aircraft, has been bringing a flock of pretty Huskys and Pitts to the show for a long time, but until this year, the float plane always had its wheels down. No longer. Horn came up with the clever idea of creating his own lake, complete with ducks, well, rubber duckies, some of them outfitted with goggles and flying helmets. The body of water took five different water trucks to fill up, and by the start of the show Aviat had a husky truly on floats on prominent display.

Word is that by show’s end Aviat will extend the wheels on the Husky’s floats and taxi out, instead of attempting a takeoff, which is probably the safe approach to take, considering that the available distance is only 60 feet and there are ducks everywhere.

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The post Aviat Creates a Lake at Sun ‘n Fun appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Testing has shown the Trailblazer improves the Husky’s climb performance by more than 10 percent and reduces the takeoff distance at max gross weight by 12 percent compared with the Hartzell aluminum propeller that comes standard with the airplane.

The two-blade Trailblazer is available in 76-, 80- and 82-inch diameters and is compatible with most Lycoming 360 and 390 series of engines without restrictions, Hartzell said. The three-blade version, which is designed for engines that produce more horsepower, comes in 80-, 82- and 85 inch diameters.

The Trailblazer series was designed with the high demands of backcountry operations in mind. The prop is constructed with high-strength carbon fiber materials with a mesh erosion shield and a nickel-cobalt leading edge that can be replaced in the field in case of damage.

Hartzell introduced the Trailblazer in an experimental Glasair Sportsman owned by Hartzell’s president Joe Brown. “The takeoff acceleration and climb performance of the new Trailblazer prop gives me the added performance I want for backcountry flying,” Brown said.

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The post Husky Gets Hartzell Trailblazer appeared first on FLYING Magazine.