Elsa Aircraft - In fairness, we have fully built SLSA that offer lower price tags, too, even while kits may offer more deluxe aircraft at reduced cost. Low-cost, ready-to-fly SLSA includes: Aerotrek's A220 at about $70,000; X-Air's LS at about $60,000;
Rainbow's Cheetah at about $55,000; CGS's Hawk at about $40,000; and M-Squared's Breese at $35,000. In addition, the industry offers trikes and powered parachutes at similar or even lower numbers. The focus tends to be on the $140,000 high-end SLSA with glass screens and autopilots, but the field is hugely diverse from a price and sophistication standpoint.
Elsa Aircraft
Into this wide ranges of choices now comes more attention to ELSA. Who says buyers lack choices? Not the LSA community. The composite parts of the aircraft can be painted in any color imaginable – making the exterior look of your BushCat totally customizable.
Arm Rest Throttle
The aircraft can be made to look bright and playful should that be your aim, or perhaps your choice would be a more conservative and less conspicuous one – the choice is all yours! The designers of the Bushcat placed a throttle on each armrest of the pilot and co-pilot seats for ergonomical efficiency.
Two interconnected throttles are mounted comfortably at the end of the armrests. Pilot and co-pilot can tilt up each armrest for ease of entry and exit of the aircraft, without changing the throttle position. The Bush Cat continues to serve as a bush airplane.
For example, various anti-wildlife-poaching missions have successfully used the BushCat in various regions of Africa. More BushCats are on order by conservation entities for this purpose as the craft meets the specific requirements of these missions.
The aluminum space frame is covered with a Trilaminate composite fabric, cross-stitched approximately every quarter inch for strength and making it almost rip-proof. The incredibly strong material is used in the sailing industry for racing yacht sails and fares well in the elements.
Trilam Skin Covering
We offer a choice of five vibrant colors in any combination to create your own look. When all is said and done, the BushCat is a fun aircraft, which is why we are proud of our bright and unique color schemes.
The Trilaminate material covering is available in 5 colours: black, white, yellow, blue and orange. We have various layout templates on offer that incorporate these fabric colours. “The FAA would issue a LODA on the basis of the eligibility of the aircraft and its maintenance requirements, the applicant, the instructor, and the type of training desired,” FAA officials explained.
“LODA holders would be required to own or lease the aircraft and would be ultimately responsible for ensuring that the aircraft, training, maintenance and instructors meet the requirements specified by the LODA.” As long as they are required to match the SLSA on inspections, I can not see where an ELSA would be any more dangerous to train in than an SLSA.
Something is better than nothing in my book. Too many young pilots-to-be give up after finding out they have to travel hours to find an SLSA to rent for training. (We live in a very rural area).
Customized Design
And then they find out how much they are asking per hour… The 2004 Light Sport Final Rule created the LODA process to allow training for compensation or hire using certain categories of experimental aircraft. However, this rule set on Jan. 31, 2010, time limit on the use of a LODA for ELSA.
Dan, thank you for this post. I really value what you are doing with respect to LSA. I agree that the aviation world has changed positively with the advent of LSA. I would very much appreciate a post from you on where aviation is headed with proposed changes to the airworthiness regulation that impacts current LSA guidance and when we might see change both in the law and industry.
An electric package for power over gas is one example for some of these planes. We hope to satisfy the demand for some airplanes to go either all electric or with the ePower charging system for longer flights.
“The FAA estimated that 60 months would be an adequate amount of time for the new SLSA to enter service to replace the ELSA and meet flight training demands,” officials said in the background section of the NPRM.
Get To Know The Bushcat
To gain its Special Airworthiness certificate, an ELSA must first be a bolt-for-bolt copy of the manufacturer's Special or fully-built version of LSA. However, once certified, the owner can begin to make changes on his or her own.
They can also become qualified to do all manner of maintenance themselves, assuming they so desire. An Airframe and Powerplant mechanic (A&P) or Light-Sport Repairman – Mechanic (LSR-M) can also work on ELSA as they can SLSA.
The aircraft is extremely comfortable with the widest cabin in its class (49.5 inches wide) and offers generous headroom making the aircraft perfect for all sizes of pilots (up to 6 feet 7 inches). Due to its simplistic modular design, the aircraft is extremely easy to work on and keeps the cost of maintenance and repair to a minimum.
A highly capable backcountry aircraft offering all you need from a bush plane. For a weekend getaway or extended stay in the bush, the BushCat will exceed your requirements and expectations. Available as a kit or factory built.
Customized Panel
Once certified and in his possession by her the owner can change to ELSA status allowing him or her to do almost anything… change avionics or even swap engines. This also means they can add floats to their ELSA and that's the subject of this article.
The aircraft emerged as a leader in serving bush pilots in areas that other light sport aircraft just couldn't handle. SkyReach focused on making the airplane tougher than any other in its class, and able to withstand the might of the veld and tundra – unleashing the next-generation Cheetah, the BushCat.
Exactly correct, Kim. This proposal (read it carefully) does nothing but delay common sense. It will only allow those few now old and near dead former ELSA instructors to start instructing again if they want to take on the hassles of getting a LODA.
While using those old and near dead aircraft if they even exist anymore. Unbelievable. I won't bother with a formal comment. Perhaps it is telling that Breezer Aircraft has just announced a new ELSA kit to complement its Breezer II SLSA.
Aluminum Spring Undercarriage
The northern Germany company reported, “[Our news has] been rewarded with lively interest. The first two kits have already been sold, and will be delivered to their owners before Sun 'n Fun. The kit is priced at just $39,995 and offers a realistic build time of 400 hours, which is the lowest in its class.”
The BushCat is the perfect aircraft for training in all of these configurations, and conveniently meets the long term needs of pilots who will fly it into more demanding locations. When the mission revolves around the journey, the BushCat excels at low and slow or high cruise.
With its six-hour endurance and cabin heat, you can fly safely and comfortably for long distances in cold-weather climates. “The use of ELSA as a training option for light-sport aircraft and ultralights provides an avenue for structured flight instruction from an FAA certified flight instructor,” officials said in the NPRM.
“While the FAA does not see a risk-based need to expand the training requirements for light sport aircraft or ultralights, it does not want to impede individuals who wish to take advantage of flight training that is relevant to the type of aircraft they operate.
- Loading Factor Wing
Additionally, the FAA would like to facilitate the availability of training aircraft for new light sport pilots or existing pilots who are transitioning to a low-mass/high-drag aircraft from conventional aircraft.” Dan, I just converted my Jabiru J230 from SLSA to ELSA so I can do the work, inspection and make any changes I like.
I have my repairman's cert. My question is what does this do to value. I have a meeting with my Board of Equalization this week to dispute the value they have placed on it. I would assume the value immediately dropped after the change.
That does not bother me too much, as I don't expect to sell it anytime soon. Thanks for a quick answer. EAA recently reported that worldwide GA aircraft shipments included 889 piston-powered aircraft plus a slightly larger number of business jets and turboprops.
Shipments declined 11.4% because of the struggling economy. However, EAA said, “Interestingly, homebuilt aircraft registrations continued their growth in the U.S. last year. A total of 941 homebuilt aircraft were added to the FAA registry in 2010, an increase of 10% from the previous year.
Hydraulic Brakes
There are now more than 32,000 homebuilt aircraft registered in the U.S.” So kits outsold GA factory-built models. While a reflection of the troubled economy, it nonetheless shows the resiliency of the kit aircraft community. And.. Why did the FAA set the wt limit for light sport just below that of the existing fleet of afordable 152's and such, already in inventory????
The myopic view that all the old farts are going to be able to afford and purchase brandi new American Made aircraft…. And we know how well that worked out.. This is a great opportunity to incorporate E-LSA's, like the RV-12s that are being built in growing numbers, into the training fleet.
I've been part of two youth builds of these E-LSAs and would love to have been able to point a parent, student or sibling to an instructor or business that could provide training or a discovery flight in these economical flyers.
We take advantage of EAA Young Eagles for orientation flights but seeing E-LSAs available as trainers would be a tremendous step forward. Adding floats is then a matter of taking the newly certified Aerotrek to a qualified installer who can work out the hardware and bracketry to mount straight (no wheels) or amphibious floats.
Centrally Mounted Control Stick
Most sellers know of a few businesses who specialize in such work. 
This specialized skill is one obvious reason why Rollison does not sell on floats and why you must shift to ELSA status after taking delivery of your Aerotrek. To learn more about Aerotrek aircraft through many articles and videos, please visit their dedicated page here.
Kim I hear what you are saying for part 103. What about a LSA aircraft? I am just now discovering (became a private pilot in 1990) the benefits of how someone can take advantage of the sport pilot cert and then can decide later to become a private pilot later if the choose to.
My question for you is why would this rule change not be helpful for the LSA side of things. The original Cheetah LSA quickly gained popularity among the South African bush flying community, earning a reputation as a fun-flying workhorse.
SkyReach made aerodynamic and ergonomic improvements to the aircraft, on the basis of worldwide customer feedback, that led to the second generation Cheetah XLS. “In addition, the FAA believed the action would further expand the growth of the industry as a whole,” officials continued.
“However, the anticipated arrival of the new SLSA has not materialized in the way that the FAA had projected in the final rule, especially for two-seat aircraft used for light sport and ultralight training.” An extremely docile taildragger yet rugged and bushworthy.
Designed with off-airport operations in mind. The BushCat offers enough useful load and range to carry you and all your supplies to the next adventure. Available as a kit or factory built. Current regulations prohibited the use of ELSA for flight training for compensation after Jan. 31, 2010. Changing that rule “would increase safety by allowing greater access to aircraft that can be used for light-sport aircraft and ultralight training,” FAA officials said in the NPRM.
A proper installer does more than supply the hardware and perform the installation. They also do critical measurements and calculations to establish the correct angle of incidence. On floats you cannot rotate for takeoff as you do on a landplane so whoever does this install needs to evaluate each aircraft based on its weight and balance in order to assure the right mounting position.
One of the “diamonds in the rough” of the LSA movement has been the kit LSA or Experimental LSA or simply ELSA. For the first five years of Light-Sport Aircraft, fully manufactured Special Light-Sport Aircraft dominated the sales figures.
With very few exceptions, ELSA were nowhere to be found. That's begun to change, perhaps as voices have been getting louder about the prices of today's well-equipped and surprisingly capable SLSA. Are ELSA a way to constrain the cost for consumers?
Maybe.
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