Dreams of past flights...

By Rob Stapleton
Jan. 29, 2008

Birchwood, AK (BCV)-One of the greatest things about flying a weightshift trike is how low you can fly over flat terrain, or water, very low...

A few years ago in the winter I had the occasion to make one such flight just to practice flying low and slow.

The air was clear, and cold, it was a beautiful March Spring day in Southcentral Alaska and I couldn't sit at a computer editing photographs any longer, I remember it well.

The sky was calling!

My Antares MA-33 was ready, on skis, radio charged up, full of fuel. This would be a solo flight around the upper Knik Arm. I pulled on my helmet, climbed in, fastened the seat harness, and yelled "CLEAR" to start the engine.

The trike leaped into the sky off of Runway 01 on takeoff, trailing a mist of snow from the skis as I headed straight North toward the Village of Eklutna.

Once abeam of the village at 2,000 feet I made a shallow clearing turn to the right and then made a 90 degree left turn to fly direct over the upper Arm near the mouth of the Knik River.

I like crossing the ice laden river, or Knik Arm here because it is narrow and would allow a glide mid-channel to either side should the engine fail. Plus there are trails that lead to road access from this area that would allow a walk to civilization should an emergency arise.


The trike was headed for Solo Lake, where I would let down and do some ground skimming. Once over the lake only about 12 minutes into the flight I let down to about 500 feet circled the lake looking for anyone else. No one around, good.

I set up for a landing in a slight glide with power to get a closer look at the snow conditions. I had landed here before when there was no snow and it was icy. I remember it took me for ever to get a single place Tundra Trike stopped, eventually it bumped into a log frozen into the lake, and came to sudden halt.

A bit of an embarrasing moment, but no damage done. Lesson learned...don't land on wind blown lake ice with skis.

Today would be different the snow was hard packed by wind but crusty where no one else had landed. Good I want to make my own tracks.

Adding power I climbed up a 100 feet, made a left circle, headed the nose and wing into the wind, and cut the power back to idle.

Just as the main skis touched the snow, I gave the control bar a brief push to flair, and then came back bar neutral for a soft, smooth touchdown in the snow. Sliding straight ahead I came to stop.

After checking the wind, or lack of it, I gave the trike full power and took off.

Climbing up to 100 feet, I eased the power back to around 4500 RPM, made a shallow turn to the left and followed a creek to the opening, or the mouth of the Knik Arm.

Slowly letting down, 75 feet, then 50, then 30, 20, 10 feet and into ground effect I held the bar neutral, with just a little back pressure. Feeling the air in the wing I knew at this speed I could hold the same altitude and airspeed all day.

Skimming over the flat snow, glistening bright white, near the inky glacial mud, the air was still, and I was following the tracks of a wolf, keeping a keen eye ahead to look for anything in my way.

The two-cycle engine was purring, the Exhaust Gas Temperatures looked good, around 1100 F. A fine flight, smooth with a slight smell of salt water in the air.

What a rush.

Following the tracks I crossed another creek and was coming up on a bluff that was about 500 feet higher than I was flying. Full power I climbed up, up , up and circled to my left away from the bluff, let off the power and glided down to the same trail, this time at about 50 feet.

Indicating just at 60 m.p.h.-- bar neutral--I eased back on the power and continued to fly northeast following the western coastline of the Knik Arm. After crossing back over the wolf tracks I continued to fly toward the upper Knik Arm, to the river.

As I crossed the river to the Eklutna side, I gave the two cylinder engine a bit more fuel and climbed up to 500 feet just before making a right turn and crossing over slow moving ice floes coming out of the river toward the upper Cook Inlet. Once on the other side I headed south, over Eklutna and back to Birchwood.

After landing and taxing back to the northeast ramp, I thought, "Now this is what trike flying is all about, low, slow flying, and a chance to see the snow covered country at 60 m.p.h. from 50 feet--a real thrill."

Now, where's that coffee thermos full of Colombian blend?

Sport Aviation in AK...a deadlock

No insurance, no Sport Pilot!

Enthusiasm for Sport Aviation in Alaska is high, but where are all the instructors and aircraft? It might be years, before Alaska will see the affects of the sport flying boom, according to local aviation and insurance officials.

"Right now the emphasis in Alaska is on getting airworthiness certificates for Experimental Light Sport Aircraft," said FAA certified DAR John Davis.

These two place "fat ultralight" aircraft must be registered by their owners by Jan. 31, 2008, or they will be illegal to fly after Jan. 31, 2008, according to FAA regulations.

When the Sport Pilot initiative that allows a pilot's license on 20 hours of instruction using a third class medical, or a valid drivers license became effective on Sept. 1, 2004, there were several deadlines imposed.

One for pilots with previous experience, that allowed them to transition with a letter of experience from either the Experimental Aircraft Association, Aero Sports Connection, or the United States Ultralight Association, after taking the FAA Sport Pilot knowledge test and a practical flight test.

The second was a deadline imposed that after Jan. 31, 2007 pilots would need a minimum of three hours of instruction with a valid Sport Pilot Instructor before being able to take the SP Practical.

The third and most onerous is the Jan. 31, 2008 deadline that forces all two place fat ultralights to transition into Experimental Light Sport Aircraft, or they become expensive non-flyable lawn ornaments.

These former FAR Part 103 aircraft once N-numbered can now only be flown by FAA certified pilots who possess a Sport Pilot License, or have received a Proficiency flight check from a Certified Sport Pilot Instructor, or Sport Pilot student pilots who have a log book endorsement by a Sport Pilot Instructor. So make no mistake, if you see what looks like an Ultralight, and they are using an N-number to identify themselves in the the pattern, they are now Experimental Light Sport Aircraft flown by licensed pilots.

Sport Pilot numbers in Alaska are growing slowly and the two new types of aircraft, weight shift, and powered parachutes, added to the list of Light Sport Aircraft can be seen flying in Alaska's skies, but the numbers pale in comparison to places like California and Florida.

Special Light Sport, and Light Sport Aircraft, or LSA's are turn-key certified N-numbered aircraft that are a two-place, fixed pitch, or ground adjustable propeller aircraft licensed with a certified gross weight of 1,320 pounds or less, (1430 lbs. for float planes) a maximum stall speed of 51 m.p.h. (45 knots), a maximum speed of 138 m.ph. (120 knots) in level flight at maximum continuous power, using a single reciprocating engine.

The popularity of ultralights were their low price tag in the $15,000 range before Sport Pilot passed. The new SLSA, and LSA aircraft range from $40,00 to $120,000 thus requiring financing.

The requirement of hull type insurance by banks who loan money to buy LSAs, and the State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' Title 17 regulations that govern state owned airports are the hurdles for growth in Alaska.

"Until LSA's can be insured, bank loans will likely not be available to purchase them," said Mike Kradowski, a Soldotna based aviation insurance salesperson.

A poll of company's that sell aircraft insurance that will not insure Alaskan based Light Sport Aircraft proved the point.

AirSure in Soldotna, Avemco, AIG, Falcon, and First Flight recently all rejected applications for insurance on ELSA, Special Light Sport Aircraft , and Light Sport Aircraft.

"Everything looks good on the applications until you get to that little box that you need to check if you fly or keep your aircraft in Alaska," said Lloyd Hood a weight shift Sport Pilot from Palmer. "Once you check that box, you've disqualified yourself from even getting a quote."

Instruction on learning how to fly ELSA, SLSA, or LSAs is also stymied by the insurance issue...the State of Alaska DOT requires liability insurance to give flight instruction on their airports.

To date no U.S. based company will issue liability insurance for instruction in an ELSA, or LSA aircraft in Alaska.

Without liability insurance instruction can only be done on privately owned airports like North Pole's Bradley Sky Ranch. Currently there are two Sport Pilot instructors, and one DPE that work from that location which is thriving with sport aviation activity.

So to instruct, an FAA certified Sport Pilot Instructor is forced to fly in his own, or his student's aircraft illegally on DOT airports, or fly from a privately owned or remote airstrip.

This effectively takes Sport Pilot instruction into a rather risky zone, one that will limit the growth of Sport Pilot in Alaska until regular established flight schools embrace the movement.

But despite these challenges a local Designated Airworthiness Representative who has inspected and certified 45 ultralights into the Experimental Light Sport Aircraft category says that Sport Pilot is on a roll.

"I have done 45 inspections and have about 15-20 more to do before the deadline," said Davis. "The emphasis by this group will now shift to getting their Sport Pilot license."

The requirements for these pilots who have previous flight experience, some of whom were Basic Flight Instructors in ultralights, will force them into taking 20 hours of instruction to be eligible to legally fly their newly transitioned aircraft after the Jan. 2008 deadline.

To date in Alaska there are only four Sport Pilot Instructors, and three Sport Pilot DPE's listed in the FAA's instructor/DPE registration on the FAA website.

Instruction can only be done in a Light Sport Aircraft to be eligible for a Sport Pilot License. The FAA did allow for instruction to be done in Experimental Light Sport Aircraft, but that privilege must be listed in the aircraft's operation limitations for certification and will expire in 2010.

Rob Stapleton can be reached at: 907-230-9425, rob@alaskasportpilotcenter.net, or www.alaskasportpilotcenter.net