Dear Dave:
In my work on a documentary film I’m making about LSA flying, I’m spending a good deal of time around southern Wisconsin guys who own their LSAs and who spent between $7,000 and $20,000 to acquire them used, and in great condition. I therefore wonder why you wrote about the enormous financial difficulty facing aviation newcomers, when LSAs – at least in the used market – seem eminently affordable to anyone serious about joining the brotherhood.
Bob Leff Video Art Productions
Cottage Grove, Wisconsin
Bob:
Thank you for the feedback, and for your work in producing a video on Light Sport Aircraft (LSAs).
Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate any used LSAs in great condition selling between $7,000 and $20,000. You must be thinking of used ultralights.
The point I was trying to get across is that new or late model LSAs may not be the best entry-level plane for the first-time aircraft owner. The second point I was making is that the LSA rule deliberately leaves out one of the most popular and safe single-engine aircraft in the world – the Cessna 150 and 152 – which could have been a big boom for the industry. If the industry does not make owning that first airplane affordable, we may never recruit some people to take flying lessons, and obviously, that person will never be a prospect to upgrade to a newer or larger aircraft, or better avionics.
New LSAs are great for pilots who can afford them, and are definitely a possibility for someone looking to upgrade to a newer plane. But they may not be the best entry-level aircraft.
DW
