Courtesy & Copyright John Caldwell, Photographer
“The Light Sport designation [can] be insured for flight instruction, unlike the Experimental, which cannot be insured for that use. The light sport category may also be maintained by the owners, if they have been to the maintenance school on that motor or model. Two of our members have now attended maintenance schools. And, Jerry Freidman, our A&P/IA, is still there to supervise and do work himself, although it is no longer required that he sign off on work by the other [trained] repairmen.” — John Caldwell
*****
“The A22LS Foxbat was first flown in the late 1990’s. It quickly became the flagship model of Aeroprakt, quickly gaining popularity around the world. While it has evolved some over the years, the basic design remains the same.
A Very Capable Aircraft
The A22LS boasts a very roomy 50” wide cockpit at the shoulders with nearly all glass doors and a massive windshield that provides legendary visibility. With a speed range from 31 mph to 100 mph cruise, the A22LS is a very capable aircraft. The A22LS is capable of a takeoff roll of around 140’ and can land in about the same distance. With full flaps and an aggressive slip, the A22LS can safely approach very slowly and at a very steep angle over obstacles. With tundra tires and mud guards, it is very well suited to off-airport operations. The A22LS may also be equipped with skis or floats.
Handles Turbulence & Rough Terrain
Flying the A22LS is an absolute blast. It is very light on the controls with the aileron and elevator controls being all pushrods. The full span flaperons provide a very snappy roll rate as well as very effective low speed response. Yet, with all this, it is very stable and handles turbulence better than most LSA’s. The main landing gear legs are spring aluminum and are bolted into a very solid gearbox so they can take an amazing amount of punishment. Replacing a gear leg is a very easy job if you ever need to do so. The nose gear is fully steerable and is a trailing link design with a gas shock absorber designed for rough terrain. The A22LS makes an excellent flight training aircraft as it is rugged and easy to fly. The A22LS is proven design with the highest time airframe at nearly 11,000 hours operating in a flight school.
Easy & Inexpensive Maintenance
The construction of the A22LS is simple and easy to maintain and repair. The airframe is all aluminum with fabric covering on the control surfaces and bottoms of the wings to save weight. The Rotax engines offer fuel economy that is making conventional aircraft engines obsolete along with reliability that keeps the airplane out of the shop and in the air. Typical empty weight of the A22LS is between 690 and 750 lbs. depending on options giving it a useful load of over 600 lbs. in some cases. The 30 gallon fuel capacity gives the A22LS typical range in excess of 500 miles.”
https://aeropraktusa.com/a22ls-foxbat/
Aeroprakt Aircraft USA, https://aeropraktusa.com/
Light Sport Aircraft, FAA, https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/light_sport