Preflight

Could these light sport aircraft change the landscape?

Most of today's student pilots are learning to fly in four-seat airplanes, with the Cessna 172 and Piper's Cherokee/Warrior/Archer series shouldering most of the burden. Of course, there are notable two-place exceptions, such as Diamond's DA20 C-1 Eclipse. Although Liberty's XL-2 has been marketed primarily as a touring airplane, it's seen some use as a trainer; and before Symphony Aircraft went into reorganization, it had sold some of its Symphony 160s to flight schools. Combined, however, their numbers in the training fleet fall far short of Cessna's and Piper's.

Both Cessna and Piper have manufactured two-seat trainers--a lot of them over the years. For decades Cessna dominated the flight-training market, selling nearly 30,000 of its two-place Cessna 150 between 1960 and 1978, when it was replaced by the Cessna 152--which sold more than 7,000 copies before production stopped in 1986. I have fond memories of the 152 from my own early flight training (see "Preflight: First Flying Lesson," May 2007 AOPA Flight Training).

Will two-seat trainers make a resurgence? Announcements in late July at EAA AirVenture, general aviation's largest annual show, that both Cessna Aircraft Company and Cirrus Design Corporation would produce new two-place airplanes certainly raise the question (see "Training Notes and News," p. 14). Both will be Light Sport aircraft, a category created by the FAA in 2004 to accompany the then-new sport pilot certificate. Sport pilots with a valid driver's license can self-certify their medical condition--an FAA medical certificate is not required. They are limited to day VFR flight and there are other operational limitations; Light Sport aircraft can have no more than two seats, a maximum takeoff weight of no more than 1,320 pounds, and can't cruise faster than 120 knots. For more information on sport pilot and Light Sport aircraft, see AOPA Online.

Two weeks after launching the Cessna 162 SkyCatcher, the company reported 720 orders for the new model. The high-wing SkyCatcher features a glass cockpit, electric elevator trim, and a control stick instead of a yoke; it will be powered by a lightweight version of the same Continental O-200 engine used in the Cessna 150.

The Cirrus SRS--or SR Sport--is the company's first offering to target basic training and entry-level missions. It will offer modern avionics, a single-lever power control, and the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. Alan Klapmeier, chairman and CEO of Cirrus, said his first flight in the new airplane was so much fun, he didn't want to land. The SRS is based on the European-built Fk14 Polaris. Hal Shevers of Sporty's Pilot Shop bought the first one in an auction at AirVenture.

While both the Cessna 162 and Cirrus SRS are priced just above $100,000, they're considerably less expensive than the four-place airplanes often used for training. And both should offer significantly lower operating costs as well, burning 3.8 to 6 gallons of fuel per hour.

What I'm wondering is, how will these airplanes be used? Will they help to crank out thousands of sport pilots? That's a possibility--sport pilot's reduced training requirements compared to a private pilot certificate, combined with a less expensive aircraft that costs less to operate, should result in the most affordable entry to aviation that we've seen.

But I've talked with several flight school owners who see Cessna's SkyCatcher as an economical two-place trainer--a glass-cockpit Cessna 152. One school's early thinking was that it might train students through solo in the SkyCatcher, then transition them to the Cessna 172 to complete a private pilot certificate. Another school might embrace the sport pilot certificate, figuring that most eventually would move up to a private pilot certificate. That's a logical assumption; I recently looked at the data for recreational pilot certificates, and a majority of the pilots who earned a recreational ticket and still fly actively have upgraded to a more advanced certificate.

Both Cessna and Cirrus plan to begin deliveries next year. Personally, I can't wait to see these new airplanes make their way to our flight schools--and, even more so, to see how they will be used.

Do you plan to attend AOPA Expo 2007 in Hartford, Connecticut, October 4 through 6? AOPA Flight Training's aviation careers columnist, Wayne Phillips, will talk about flying careers and the current hiring landscape at Career Pilot Live on Saturday, October 6, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Room 13 of the Connecticut Convention Center. Flight instructors are invited to join us for AOPA Flight Training's annual CFI Roundtable on Saturday, October 6, from 11 a.m. to noon in the Marriott Hartford's Capital 1 room. The hotel adjoins the convention center. For more information on either event, send me an e-mail. For more information on Expo, see AOPA Online. We hope to see you there.

E-mail Mike Collins, editor of AOPA Flight Training, at [email protected].