Happy New Year may it be a good one for you all. The New Year starts with US Sport Aviation Expo at Sebring so Bob Touchette and I visited the show on Saturday, the show plagued with lousy weather all four days and not a lot flew which was a shame and a let down for visitors thinking a visit to Florida would be different.

I had heard from Michael Mc Mclellan the commentator that there were two at least airplanes I would be interested in from Interplane out of the Czech Republic, you might remember they brought in two planes some years a go one the Skyboy was quite a seller.

We mad a b-line to see the two new ones.

I made statements some time ago. I think Ultralights will make a come back, it will take a few years but my opinion there will be a come back that will be exciting, and I think this is start of the NEW ERA, with the V J Vievo from Interplane they showed two models one with a tricycle undercarriage and a mono wheel version, both have brakes. Extra $500. The engine a well tried Fly200 27HP Paramotor, as used with Power Para Gliders, using one gallon a hour and weighs sixty pounds, all composite structure body, wings covered in Ceconite. Total weight 161lbs. Cruise speed is sixty three. Rate of climb 700ftm with a 170lb pilot. Stall speed 27mph. Wing span 26.6 feet. Gross weight 401 lbs I found them Exciting though it would have been better if they had flown.

I am sure they will fly at Sun and Fun that will make it more interesting. I wasn’t too impressed by the price’s $19900 and $21900, but I imagine that will change. I saw an advertisement for a LSA Challenger $23650 and that’s a two place of course. Single seaters have been going up and up in price for ages

The Vieva has a comfortable looking cockpit, a yoke stick I didn’t like the position of the throttle; they have got away from the push and pull design they would do well to reconsider in my opinion.

I can foresee lots of new designs with new materials keeping the weight under 254lbs.

The other plane I just had to see was from a company in Melbourne that I had only heard of. The Lambada motorized Glider, from Urban Air USA. A 42 and 49 foot wing span. Fitted with a Rotax 912. 80 HP. 30 to1 Glide ratio cruise speed of 100 NTS, range of 800 miles, wing tanks for 26 gallons of fuel.  Comfortable Two seat Yes it’s over a hundred grand but well worth it giving its pilot the best flying there is. The best of all worlds at a reasonable price. If you have ever flown gliders I am sure you would agree

Now you all know what I would like for Christmas. Or the first stop when I win the lottery.

The lay out and amount of vendors this year was quite impressive and the largest turnout so far. I wasn’t happy with the placement of speakers or the amount of them I couldn’t hear the commentator at all which was sad to think that Michael spent a thousand of his own dollars giving his time, knowledge, and talent as a volunteer for such thoughtlessness by the organizers, my thoughts were Bin there Done that!

I have a new hobby, a member of the Orlando Sunday Sloppers I am learning to race Model Yachts, not as easy as it looks but I am enjoying it