Sport Pilot

[Thruster88]

11 minutes ago, Freizeitpilot said:

Page 98…. A bright horizon for RA-Aus

 

”If you look at the register now, out of the 3,195 aircraft currently listed, a very small percentage of these are of the rag and tube variety that light sport aviation was founded on”

 

There is your answer.

 

As Deano747 suggests- submit an article with pics to stir up some interest or write to the Editor. Ultimately, advertisers follow the money, and the magazine follows the advertisers.

In Australian Flying mag years ago they had a section called register review for VH aircraft. New or old imports coming in and those cancelled and why. 

 

The raaus register would make a great article. Publish a simple rego, type and current status. Then we could see how many Thrusters, Jabiru's, Drifters etc, plus all the odd ball types got registered and how many still are. 

[kgwilson]

Range is one component, Wh/kg has improved dramatically as has the chemistry and longevity. Also safety has improved considerably and the cost has plummeted. There are a number of EVs from China that have 1000km or more range. Global sales are heading for a record 16.7 million units in 2024 up from 13.9 million in 2023 and in line with forecasts at the beginning of the year.

[turboplanner]

WS00357.pdfOur automotive Industry measures itself on percentage market share.

The key figure for trends is the Jan-Dec 12 month market share.

Less than 5% and the make/model is heading for closure.

These are current market share figures ending with the 2023 year. 2024 year for all these countries will take until about May.

This source is from people in various contries contributing on Wikipedia.

Note the latest puffery of combining BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles) with PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) Although PHEV produce CO2, they are removed from the "nasty" lists of ICEV, plus add a handy increase to promote "Electric" vehicles. Similarly we are yet to go to analysis of Real emitting vehicles because "Countrywide" averages are used. In the USA there are states which will be on 100% coal-fired power for the long term future so BEV in those states don't save CO2. 

If we split out PEV into BEV and PHEV the big increases are for PHEV.

Referring to this chart;

It shows the result of Germany's problem in getting renewable energy to meet Peak demand.

The UK is committed to banning all ICE vehicles soon but that poor market share means that it has passed the point of no return  where it can start selling a 100% market share in time. (Because of the difficulty for manufacturers changing the tooling and lines).

Italy for some reason is going backwards.

[facthunter]

Is this about "Sport Pilot?"  Nev

[turboplanner]

2 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Is this about "Sport Pilot?"  Nev

What have you got to say relating to Sport Pilot?

[facthunter]

Just pointing out thread drift. I wasn't singling you out. Is that OK?  Nev

[turboplanner]

3 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Just pointing out thread drift. I wasn't singling you out. Is that OK?  Nev

The story ran out of gas long ago.

[facthunter]

19 hours is long ago and 4 posts?.  Nev

[turboplanner]

Thread drift.

[facthunter]

I questioned your statement, which was wrong in fact and that's your answer to my question?. Nev

[Flightrite]

Where’s my thread drifting popcorn?😉

[turboplanner]

I'll get a box too; it would be so much easier to write a story.

[facthunter]

Weak  as Piss response, Turbs. Nev

[facthunter]

It's a matter of having the LABEL mean something and maintaining some ORDER in the Format. Nev

[skippydiesel]

The Editor of Sport Pilot, is (to my mind) delivering his usual inaccurate reporting;

THE FLOATPLANE THAT SAVED A NATION

In the second paragraph, of this otherwise entertaining retrospective, he defines the descriptive terms for aircraft that can land/takeoff on water;

 

"Just for the record, a floatplane is, well, a plane with floats attached instead of a normal undercarriage. A seaplane has a boat-like hull that floats ......"

 

I have always understood, that an aircraft specifically designed for marine landings/takeoffs, with a boat like hull, is a 'FLYING BOAT".

 

The term "seaplane" describes an aircraft modified, by attaching floats, to what would otherwise be a land based aircraft, to enable it to land on water

 

"Floatplane" is an American term for a seaplane.

 

Semantics for sure but just one more example of our media adopting (without much thought) American terminology, for no good purpose other than to deepen the cultural undermining of the Australian way of life😈

 

 

[facthunter]

SO "Sportpilot" is undermining the" Australian Way of Life?". There would be a long list of candidates  FAR more guilty of that before you got down to Sportpilots effort. Just WHAT is the "Australian WAY " of life anyhow? Nev

[turboplanner]

..

[T510]

Latest issue of Sport Pilot has a QR code linking to a Survey as to what should be done with Sport Pilot moving forward.

 

As someone who rarely finds more than one article worth reading per issue it was good to be able to give some feedback

[skippydiesel]

On 09/08/2025 at 9:57 AM, T510 said:

Latest issue of Sport Pilot has a QR code linking to a Survey as to what should be done with Sport Pilot moving forward.

 

As someone who rarely finds more than one article worth reading per issue it was good to be able to give some feedback

Survey was all about moving to digital - nothing about quality editorial content.😈

 

[skippydiesel]

Sport Pilot ISSUE 112

 

Aside from the the regular homilies delivered by our long suffering RAA staff (always worth a brows) it seems the main contributor to SP is the editor.

 

The SP editor has now reported on his thirds trans Australia trip. The latest self promotion uses approximately 13% of the available SP space (front back covers & advertising included) and delivers less than 1% quality reporting :

 

AIRCRAFT

• The RV 7 used, is not RAA registered.
• Possibly could be under the latest regulations but unlikly.
• Even if RAA registered, is NOT representative of the majority of RAA aircraft, being far more powerful, Faster, Greater Range, Avgas guzzling and likly higher load capacity.
• The pilot of an aircraft of this type, is very unlikly to encounter the sort of trip challenges most RAA pilots/aircraft would encounter.

PILOT

• Mr Heath is a GA licensed pilot - as we all know this confers entry to controlled airspace (CTA). As yet ,RAA pilots are not so privileged, thus limiting their (rout & landing) options when traveling.
• Mr Heaths  budget (fuel/accommodation/food/etc) would seem to be quit lavish, again not likly to be representative of many RAA pilots.

Trip Budget

• It may be a perc of the job that Mr Heaths travel activities (journalistic research?) are tax deductable, in whole or part. May also be covered by in whole or part by SP? (RAA?). 

I find Mr Heaths travel stories entertaining, if a tad gushy!.

I also find that they have little relevance to what I or my RAA pilot friends might aspire to - something as simple as 95/98 RON ULP availabity is not addressed,.

Three trans Australian trips (published in consecutive SP's) of little relevance to RAA pilots, is truly excessive 

• Who is approving these irrelevant jaunts?
• Who is funding them?
• Why are we getting travelogues that have little relevance to the sort of flying RAA pilots might aspire to?

"TECH TALK"

"THE BORE, THE STROKE, AND THE GLORY....."

 

Yea Gads! 

If it was just Mr heath showing his ignorance I would not be concerned however SP is supposed to be representing RAA & it pilots.

This article, in keeping with previous "fluff" from Mr Heath BORDERS ON MISLEADING, CERTAINLY DOES LITTLE TO INFORME, the reader.

 

How long are we going to be subjected to this SP editors incompetence?😈

 

[T510]

2 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

Survey was all about moving to digital - nothing about quality editorial content.😈

 

There was enough freedom in the survey to be able to make comment on the content, not just the delivery

[Freizeitpilot]

I reckon a report from Skippy on his flight from the Oaks to Serpentine would make a great read. 

[jackc]

 Maybe I could throw in the RAA Oz junket to Oshkosh😁😁 

Now heading for bomb shelter 👍

[skippydiesel]

21 hours ago, T510 said:

There was enough freedom in the survey to be able to make comment on the content, not just the delivery

As I did however the impression I got was that the objective was to canvas members views on Paper V Digital😈

[skippydiesel]

14 hours ago, Freizeitpilot said:

I reckon a report from Skippy on his flight from the Oaks to Serpentine would make a great read. 

Its bad enough that SP already seems to be dominated by slushy  travel logs and kiddie reports - who wants the hear from a spelling challenged old fart fulfilling his dreams????     😈