EAA Sport Aviation - April 2010

Checking Out
Light- Sport
Aircraft

Skycatcher and PiperSport’s Avionics

THE FAA FINALIZED THE sport pilot certificate and the light-sport aircraft (LSA) regulations nearly six years ago. Companies often respond quickly to change, and they did in this case; more than 100 models of LSA are now available.

But changing the opinions of pilots is a slower process. Perhaps that’s part of our DNA. We often take a conservative approach to change, and there’s a certain rationality to taking a circumspect view of major change.

LSA have attracted a lot of interest and are attracting more people to aviation. The latest statistics show we’ve added more than 3,200 new sport pilots since the rule went into effect, which is good. But I think there’s a “show me” attitude among pilots who are skeptical about whether LSA are “real” planes. In the course of flying a half-dozen LSA this past year, I realized that not only have I felt that way sometimes, but so have others who are now deeply involved in selling LSA.

This Skycatcher panel includes the optional MFD display on the right, but not the Tru Trak autopilot.

The PiperSport LTD I flew includes a second display for engine instruments and a Dynon autopilot. The Garmin GPS at the top of the center stack displays a moving map, terrain, and weight and balance information.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAX TRESCOT T
MAX TRESCOTT

In one case, a business partner in a national distributorship ignored the LSA portion of his business until challenged by his partner to fly one of the planes. When he landed he commented, “It’s an airplane,” which he explained he meant as a compliment since he hadn’t expected to be impressed. A demo pilot for another company told me he remembered thinking “It’s a real airplane” after his first flight in the company’s LSA. I’ve had essentially the same experience: healthy skepticism followed by the realization that LSA are real airplanes that are fun to fly.

So it was with anticipation that I went to the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, this past January, where I knew I’d be flying Cessna’s Skycatcher. Little did I know that Piper would announce the PiperSport and that I’d get a demo flight in that aircraft, too. Surprisingly, the two aircraft have more similarities than differences. Both aircraft have excellent flying characteristics, are fun to fly, and will be successful. Since most reviews focus on flying characteristics, let’s look at their avionics in more depth.

The Skycatcher is outfitted with the new Garmin G300 with many of the features of the G1000 found in larger aircraft. The base model has a single glass display with a split screen that shows flight instruments on top and a moving map on the bottom. An optional second display is available. In that configuration, a primary flight display (PFD) on the left displays flight instruments, and a right-side multifunction display (MFD) shows a moving map, terrain, XM weather, and the AOPA Directory. Dual display models support a reversionary mode; if the PFD fails, a merged PFD/MFD image is displayed on the second display. A Tru Trak autopilot, not installed in the aircraft I flew, is an option.

Both displays resemble the hardware for the Garmin GPSMAP 696, a portable visual flight rules GPS. The PFD layout is similar, though more compressed, than the larger G1000 display. Like the G1000, it includes speed bugs along the airspeed tape that indicate the best angle of climb speed and best rate of climb speed, which are 57 and 62 knots, respectively.

There are improvements over the G1000. The slip/skid indicator is depicted as a ball rather than a trapezoid. The turn coordinator is positioned above the attitude indicator instead of the horizontal situation indicator (HSI), making the scan easier for flying a standard rate turn. The magnetic heading is displayed in the center of a new compass tape.