A Flight Design CT light sport aircraft that has been operating daily at a German airfield has logged nearly 3,000 hours and more than 13,000 landings.
This particular model, a 2003 CT2K registered D-MGAC, was the first-generation model of the CT. The log indicates that the aircraft has been flown daily as a basic trainer at Jesenwang airfield. It’s on its second Rotax engine and has logged 13,268 landings.
“Some say a light sport aircraft may fly great as a training aircraft but cannot possibly hold up to years of use by students learning the art of flying,” according to Flight Design USA, the U.S. importer of the CT series from Germany. “Flight Design recently received proof showing the doubters are just plain wrong.”
The company has since introduced the CTsw and CTLS, a version with longer fuselage and wider landing gear designed to provide better handling for flight schools. Flight Design, American Legend, Tecnam, and Remos were the manufacturers with greatest market share in special light sport aircraft through April 2009, according to ByDanJohnson.com.
