Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group (unknown)

The Alarus is not an LSA so I'm familiar with it. Sorry.

You know, if you are looking for part 23 certification, Tecnam sells a
P92 that is Part 23 certified. You could use it for everything you'd
use the Alaurus for plus do light sport training. Just a thought.

Helen

Bill Hobson wrote:
>
>
> Helen:
> I'd like to say "Thank you" for taking the time to offer your insights
> into this issue. I started out shopping for a used LSA to offer as a
> leaseback to a couple of our local flight instructors, but have
> gravitated back towards a Part 23 plane (the AMD Alarus) due to its
> relatively low acquisition cost. Any thoughts on this plane for flight
> school use?
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Helen Woods <mailto:Helen_Woods@verizon.net>
> *To:* Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 29, 2009 9:19 AM
> *Subject:* Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group (unknown)
>
>
>
> There are now 100 different models of LSAs out on the market and the
> quality of plane and customer service varies widely with them. I
> run a
> large LSA flight school and we are a dealer for Tecnam aircraft.
> From a
> flight school stand point, here are a few points to look into when
> selecting a plane:
>
> 1. Useful load - only a few models have enough useful load for two
> mature men and fuel. All of those have a Rotax engine so you'll
> want to
> learn about these and send your A&P to Rotax school. Never trust the
> published numbers when shopping. Many LSA manufacturers seriously
> exaggerate their numbers. Always ask an owner what the actual useful
> load is.
>
> 2. Composites vs. metal - While attractive, composites are a super
> pain
> to get fixed. Doubly so when the A&P doing the work has to learn the
> LSA fix-it rules and work with a company rep who is in a time zone on
> the other side of the world. Also super expensive to fix with major
> down time. Been there, done that, not fun.
>
> 3. Handling varies widely between models. Some LSAs handle like a
> very
> light plane getting blown around in the wind. Some have some ugly
> stall
> characteristics. I can vouch for the Tecnam P92 as not having any of
> these issues and being a very gentle trainer. I have not been as
> impressed with any of the other LSA land planes. (I did really
> like the
> SeaRey.)
>
> 4. Factory support - The good news is that the FSDO is no longer in
> your life for the most part when dealing with an SLSA. The bad
> news is
> that the manufacturer of the plane controls every aspect of what
> you do
> mx wise on your SLSA right down to deciding what brand of tires
> you can
> use. It is IMPERATIVE that you work with a company with good US
> support. Tecnam has provided that for us, allowing us to make repairs
> and modifications with domestic parts and quickly shipping us any
> Tecnam
> specific parts we need. Another company we deal with won't even
> let us
> upgrade the brand of tires, makes us buy their parts at exorbitant
> prices ($12 for a rubber washer), and then takes their good sweet
> time
> sending them to us. Not a good recipe for a flight school.
>
> 5. ADs - SLSAs don't have ADs issued by the FAA but mandatory service
> bulletins issued by the factory. Tecnam is really good about getting
> these out to their customers in a timely fashion along with a factory
> approved fix. Another company we used to deal with simply stuck their
> head in the sand when problems arose. We had one instance when a
> friction lock fell apart (a number of owners were having the same
> problem) and not only did they not put out a SB or send us a fix but
> they recommended that we repair it with tape!
>
> 6. Safety record - A search of the NTSB database will give you a good
> idea of accident issues associated with different models of LSAs and
> their survivability. In general you'll find a lot of LSA landing
> accidents typically from older pilots who have transitioned over
> to LSAs
> and underestimated the skill level required to fly them,
> especially in
> crosswinds. (Not hard but you can't have flat feet.) Tecnam does not
> have any US fatalities since all Tecnams are built with a steel roll
> cage. Unfortunately that can't be said about other models.
>
> Hope this heps.
> Helen
>
> chuck72360 wrote:
> > We've been in the more traditional aircraft business and not
> very familiar with the LSA rules and trends.
> >
> > Thinking about buying a training LSA plane. What are the group's
> thoughts regarding a quality, reasonably priced, proven vehicle to
> expand our LSA presence.
> >
> > I am in a fairly remote area in northern Michigan with many
> former pilots. I think with the proper education I can
> train/retrain pilots and possibly sell them their training
> airplane and repeat the process.
> >
> > I am interested in the groups thoughts and experiences.
> >
> > Chuck
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sport_Aircraft/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sport_Aircraft/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Sport_Aircraft-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:Sport_Aircraft-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Sport_Aircraft-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/