Welcome to the owner area of our
website. Here will be posted information that we
hope will be useful to owners and operators of
Flight Design CT aircraft.
The information posted here will
be advisory in nature, not mandatory. However,
at times, it will direct attention towards
information that is mandatory.
- April 28, 2008 - Spring Training Time.
Spring has finally come to most parts of the United States and people are digging in their gardens and coming out of winter hibernation.
Many of us who have not been flying much during the winter season may have become a bit rusty. Depending on your age, level of proficiency, and currency before the winter, this can be a real safety issue.
Beyond going for an early BFR, what can we do to make certain we are ready for that first trip or first cross wind landing?
Common sense tells to get in touch with a local flight instructor who is familiar with the CT (you can ask your Flight Design dealer for a referral). An hour or so with your favorite flight instructor can assist in getting you back up to speed and making that first flight safer and more enjoyable.
What we specifically advise against is putting yourself in the position of being influenced by social pressure (friends-family-schedule), further complicating that first spring flight. An aircraft accident is usually preceded by a set of unfortunate decisions or actions, often referred to as an "error chain". Maintaining proficiency is a good first step in breaking that chain.
The FAA offers Wings training courses on a monthly basis. Participating in any of the many safety courses offered by aviation industry associations is always recommended, and often encouraged by your insurance carrier. Practicing flight planning, reviewing aircraft pre-flight procedures and re-familiarizing your self with local weather patterns are also some good ideas.
If you haven't flown your plane during the winter there are some things you can do for it as well. In what condition did you leave your aircraft? Did you leave your fuel tanks full of fuel? How long has it been since you started your engine? Did you remove your battery and bring it indoors? Beyond an in-depth preflight, carefully detailing your engine compartment and washing your plane can also tell you a lot.
You might want to consider having your A&P or Light Sport Repairman inspect your aircraft before that first spring flight. A 25 hour inspection from the maintenance manual might be a good place to start.
We realize that much of this is common sense (which seems a bit less common these days) but please take the time to start your flying off smart this spring. Your aircraft, your insurance agent and your family will surely appreciate it.
- March 4, 2008
Flight Design will now include a
Read this first document with the delivery of each
aircraft in an effort to provide new owners with a starting point when discovering their new aircraft.
The Aircraft Operating Instructions are back! Check out the links at the top of the owner page.
The Maintenance Instructions page is active! Look for documents relating to routine maintenance and servicing to posted there in the near future.
- February 23, 2008 - Guidelines for obtaining Factory Approval of Field Modifications
Flight Design USA has been receiving requests for field modifications, in particular, to change and/or upgrade the avionics in certain aircraft.
Unlike aircraft certificated in other Categories, Light Sport Aircraft do not require FAA 337 forms to be submitted to the local FAA office for approval.
For LSAs, all modifications must be approved by the factory.
Requests for a modification may be submitted to Flight Design USA where they will be reviewed and then sent on to Flight Design GmbH for approval.
Upon acceptance, a Letter of Approval is issued that includes a statement that the aircraft, after the modification, will still be in compliance with the applicable ASTM standards.
Requests should be of a reasonable nature. Structural or aerodynamic modifications are not likely to be approved.
So far, the majority of requests have been for the addition of, or replacement of, avionics.
Before considering a change, an Owner/Operator and Avionics Technician should review the applicable FAA and ASTM requirements.
The following is a Reference to applicable FAA and ASTM documents. Attached at the end is a Modification Request form.
Note: At this time, first consideration is being given to previously approved equipment and avionic configurations.
FDUSA is seeking to issue a Blanket Approval in order to streamline the process. Owners/Operators will be pre-approved to make certain modifications/upgrades to avionics subject to set limitations, following specific guidelines and accompanied by appropriate documentation. The Blanket Approval would only be for configurations that were previously approved by the factory (i.e., as delivered from the factory). One-off installations will still be considered on a case by case, and time permitting basis.
- February 17, 2008 - For informational purposes,
this link shows a
list of aircraft that were delivered with engines subject to Rotax Service
Bulletin SB-912-056 UL.
This does not relieve Owners/Operators from the
requirement to check their aircraft engine and gearbox serial numbers
and comply with the Service Bulletin.
- February 16, 2008 - The Factory has revised the wing inspection interval for the CTSW
as evidenced by the latest revision of the Flight Design CT-LSA Maintenance Manual,
CTSW & CTSW 2006 LSA Sport Models (Rev. 5). Please print out and include the new
Page 30 in
your Maintenance and Inspection Procedures Manual.
The manual now reads:"Check each 600 hrs or at the next 100 hrs inspection after 2 years,
whichever occurs first."
This should provide some relief to frequency at which the wings need to be removed for inspection purposes.
- February 12, 2008 - Rotax has issued Service Bulletin
SB-912-056 UL
requiring the change-out of gear sets within the gear boxes of certain
engines installed on some of the CTSW aircraft in the field.
Please review SB-912-056 UL
(which also contains SB-912-056) and check
the serial number on your engine.
Note that the compliance date is April 30th, 2008
Flight Design USA lists recent Rotax Service Bulletins
on the Continued Airworthiness Support page under the Safety
tab of this website; however, as the Rotax Owner
Assistance Network (ROAN) suggests:
"Be the First to Know" by receiving
the information first hand at: rotax-owner.com.
