Recreational flying is the new craze of aspiring pilots and those pilots who are looking for a break from flying heavy aircraft. The planes used for fun flying are called Light Sport Aircrafts or LSAs. There are many people out there who want to fly just for the sheer thrill of the flying experience but cannot meet the rigorous physical training requirements for flying regular aircraft or do not want to take up flying as a profession. For those people, LSA has come as a boon. However to fly an LSA, these people have to first obtain Sport Pilot (SP) license. The SP certification takes about 20 hours and doesn’t cost more than $3500.

The LSA is a special aircraft having specific features like seating capacity of two, a maximum takeoff weight of 1320 pounds, a maximum stall speed of 45 knots, non-pressurized cockpit, single engine that is non-turbine, a fixed landing gear system and so on. LSAs are given FAA registration “N - number”. Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) is those LSAs meant for sale to the general public. Since this is emerging as a new sport, there are number of people looking to buy LSAs. One company from where you can procure LSA is SportairUSA. The company is the distributor for StingSport, Sirius airplanes and the amphibious aircraft SeaRay. The company is situated at Little Rock, Arizona.

The LSA from the stable of SportairUSA is the StingSport. It meets all the requirements prescribed for qualifying as an LSA. The aircraft does not need assembling, as it is ready for flying when it is delivered at your doorstep. The StingSport has got a Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) certification on account of which new pilots can fly the plane safely. The StingSport can also be flown by private pilot certificate holders whose medical certification has lapsed. You can fly the StingSport if you have a driver’s license and a flight medical certificate. It can also be flown for those wanting credits for obtaining advanced certification. The StingSport from SportairUSA is fun to fly and is available for less than the cost of other such aircrafts in the market. The plane is easy to handle with light control touch and has power necessary for recreational flying. You will love flying the StingSport.

Another product from SportairUSA is the Sirius that is basically a high-wing SLSA that is manufactured in the Czech Republic by TL-Ultralight. It is made from the carbon fiber materials used for StingSport. Rotx 912 engines will power the plane. Sirius has been designed for more space with 48” cabin and has room even for your golf clubs. At the AERO Friedrichshafen held in Europe in 2007, the Sirius got rave reviews.

SeaRay is the amphibian aircraft distributed by SportairUSA. The plane can make 300 feet takeoffs and lands with absolute ease. It can make 50’ radius while flying at 35 mph turns without any problem. So if you are the kind who wants to fishing very often, then think of buying an amphibian airplane, think SeaRay. The plane is easy to fly and dependable.

The other products distributed by SportairUSA are Woodcomp propellers and the GreenLineTM EMS, manufactured by I-K Technologies.

You can get in touch with the company at www.sportair.aero.

Do you ever dream of owning your own plane? There are many advantages of building your own plane.

The main advantage is the cost. The cost of a homebuilt plane can vary from $5,000 upwards to $200,000 depending on the kind of engine, performance characteristics and instruments. For instance, the Mooney Bravo which is basically a four-seater that can fly at 270 mph with a 1000 mile range, costs around $399,000 while the Lancair IV experimental plane which is also a four-seater, costs anything between $174,000 to $200,000, almost half the cost of the Mooney Bravo. The break-up of costs for the Lancair IV is like this; the standard kit costs around $52,000 while the fast-build kit costs $77,000, the engine costs $32,000, the propeller costs $10,000, avionics cost $60,000 while the interiors can cost $20,000. The Lancair can go up to 375 mph with a 1459 mile range that is better than the Mooney Bravo. The difference in cost is on account of the cost of labor, the cost of tools that you use and the costs of the certification that are saved when you build your own kit plane.

Another advantage of building you own kit plane is that you get access to the latest technology. With the flying space heating up, many manufacturers are coming out with new designs, albeit at a higher cost to comply with the standards of FAA. The new planes come equipped with the latest equipment and state-of-art technology. However, experimental planes are cheaper as they don’t have to go through elaborate certification regulations and hence have great speed and great looks.

Yet another advantage of building your own plane is that you get to do its maintenance yourself. The maintenance of a manufactured plane is to be done by a certified aviation mechanic. This will cost around $60 to $100 per hour. Further, the annual inspection will set you back by $1000 to $5000. When you build your own plane, you save thousands of dollars over the years in maintenance and inspection costs as you would be doing this yourself. You can also pick up an auto engine like the rotary from Mazda or the Chevy or the air-cooled Volkswagen engine. The maintenance of these engines can be done at a lower cost as compared to normal engines fixed on planes.

One major worry about home-built planes is safety. FAA has rules that ensure that a plane built by you undergoes FAA tests and is test flown by the builder of the plane for about 40 hours in and around a range of 25 miles. The safety record of home-built planes is comparable to that of manufactured ones.

Cost is not the only factor to be considered when you build your own plane. You cam also involve the entire family in building the plane and this become family-bonding time.

Last but not least, the sheer joy of working with your hands and building the plane with commitment and perseverance will fill you with the pride of achievement. It is a challenge that many people enjoy.