The Wait Winds Down
Everywhere you turn
this week at Arlington 2004, in the wondrous shadow of the
Cascades, it seems that two words keep coming up... "Sport
Pilot."
One of the most breathlessly awaited rulings to come from the
FAA, (and one of the few regs that people have actually wanted),
has been the promised initiation of a new wave of affordable
aviation. While we have bandied about the rudiments of what Sport
Pilot is and isn't for several years, especially in light of the
fact that this is a rule that has been promised for several years
and been delayed by nearly as much, we now seem to be (finally)
down to the wire.
As we write this, the published version of the Sport Pilot rule
is rumored to be just a few days away (and some very recent inside
info reinforces the rumor mill). 'Certain' to be published by
Oshkosh, the industry is hoping for it to show up in the next
week so that there will be sufficient time to study it, examine
what it really is and isn't, and go to Oshkosh with questions,
clarifications, and a shopping list for the FAA.
One of the most interesting byproducts of the years of delay,
though, is the fact that of the companies that have managed to
survive the loss of market share (from folks who have been waiting
for the rule to make their purchases), there have come tighter
business models and more determination to be able to weave through
the vagaries of a small and fluid market. Better product
development, extensive builders programs, aggressive financing,
better documentation, Internet builder support, and other online
support mechanisms have typified just a few of the many efforts
that surviving SportPlane manufacturers have brought to the market
in order to survive and stake claim to what has been a shrinking
market.
Now, however, as Sport Pilot is apparently moving from promise
to reality; there's more anticipation than ever before. While many
manufacturers, dealers, flight schools, and other sport aviation
businesses seem to think that the model put forth by the FAA and
EAA is a bit too optimistic; they are bound and determined to
reshape it and mold it in a way that will allow them to build more
secure businesses, enlarge the aviation market among those who are
already devoted to aviation -- and more important than anything
else -- start bringing light sport aircraft products to people who
had previously never considered owning a small airplane.
This is where most of the burgeoning Sport Pilot
industry/population feels that their future lies. This industry has
been preaching to the choir so long, noted one manufacturer, that
they failed to realize that it was time to take the show on the
road.
"There are thousands of people who've always wanted to fly...
there are probably nearly as many who have always wanted to own an
airplane, but when they realized that a new airplane cost more than
their house, that dream was dashed. But... when a new
airplane is equal to the cost of a luxury car or a boat or RV,
that's when we have a fighting chance to sell aviation to people
who always dreamed of flying, but never took it seriously."
So... the next week is likely to be an exciting one, and the if
the FAA has any smarts whatsoever (definitely in doubt, at this
point) we should have the rule with just enough time on our hands
to figure out its intricacies before we meet up with the FAA at
Oshkosh and start building a better future for the surviving
members of the sport aviation community. If the rule isn't released
until Oshkosh itself, though, we expect a lot of confusion and
misinterpretation until some time passes. However, with our FAA
sources telling us that many people within the FAA are still
calculating just what this means to them, as well; the delayed
announcement of the rule to coincide with Oshkosh
could plainly mean that the FAA is still figuring that out for
themselves. It's going to be a very interesting summer....