General Aviation Aircraft
Explore the world of general aviation aircraft with our reviews. Written from a pilot's perspective, these reviews provide fantastic insight into what these general aviation planes are really like.
Sunday, July 1, 2007 The Sierra Stallion
It’s not your father’s Citation!Scott Perdue, Photography by James Lawrence
 Pilots often nickname airplanes they love and, conversely, ones they dislike. There’s “Spam Can” for Cessna pistons and there’s the denigrating “Fork-Tailed Doctor Killer” for V-tailed Bonanzas; one of the most derisive is “Slow ’Tation” for Cessna’s entry-level jet. It’s hard to believe, but some folks malign the Cessna Citation as a “near jet” and use other less-than-flattering descriptions. |
Sunday, July 1, 2007 Cessna Turbo Stationair: Escalade For The Jeep Trail
An acknowledged workhorse for nearly 40 years, the Cessna Stationair adds major avionics sophistication and uncommon comfort to its credentialsBill Cox, Photography By Jessica Ambats
 Somehow, the very idea of motoring along a mile above the tallest mountain in the contiguous 48 states in a Cessna Stationair seems almost a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron (a moron on oxygen). Most pilots simply don’t associate the tough 206 with operation in the flight levels. The airplane’s image is more utility station wagon than high-performance, turbocharged SUV.
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Friday, June 1, 2007 I Need A Price Check On Runway 6, Please
User fees have the potential to significantly change the way we fly
 On February 5, 2007, President Bush released his 2008 fiscal year budget. Fears of how the budget would affect aviation came to fruition with a proposed budget cut of $1 billion off of the present funding level of $14.3 billion. A week later, the government declared that they’d be looking for a closer matching of costs to benefits; additionally, they recommended increases in the fuel tax and the implementation of several user fees. To make matters worse, if the budget goes through as presented, general aviation will be at war with commercial aviation about who and how much each side will have to pay for the right and privilege to fly. And the clock is tickling—funding for the FAA expires on September 30, 2007. |
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Friday, June 1, 2007 Diamond Twin Star: 21st Century Multi
Diamond Aircraft, the world’s third-largest manufacturer of GA, fixed-wing aircraft, is betting that the diesel-powered Twin Star will be the multi trainer of the futureBill Cox, Photography By Jessica Ambats
 Perched in the catbird seat of Jerry Barto’s Diamond Twin Star, 11,500 feet above Palm Springs, I can’t help reflecting that this truly is a new-generation airplane. Calling any flying machine 21st century has a nice ring to it, but the DA42 truly deserves that accolade. From concept to power to configuration, it has about as much similarity to the old light/light twins as does a new Infiniti G35 to a ’57 Chevy.
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Tuesday, May 1, 2007 The Bonanza Hits 60 Strong and Fast!
On its 60th anniversary, the Bonanza is still a true pilot’s airplaneScott Perdue, Photography by Jim Wilson
 Any good design has a timelessness that transcends fashion. Whether you consider a toaster or a car or an airplane, a successful design starts with a good robust understanding of the balance betweenperformance, looks and customer requirements. |
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 Evektor SportStar: Czech Mate
Mostly metal and all fun, the Evektor SportStar brings its own formula to the LSA classBill Cox, Photography By Jessica Ambats
 The category is called light-sport aircraft, and one look at the Evektor SportStar suggests that it practically defines the type. A product of the Czech Republic’s largest aircraft manufacturer, Evektor-Aerotechnik of Kunovice, the SportStar is one of many products from a company with a prestigious international client list—Boeing, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Let Aircraft and others. |
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Tuesday, May 1, 2007 The Evolution Of Epic
Epic is planning a whole family of high-performance turboprops and jets, starting with the Dynasty and EliteBill Cox, Photography by Mike Shore
 At a time when very light jets are all the rage, turboprops might seem “old school” or out of step with the times. After all, the new VLJs will fly higher and faster for the same or less money. |
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Sunday, April 1, 2007 The Huskier Husky
An old friend with a bigger engine
 The first flight in a new airplane is exciting, even when it’s an old friend with a bigger engine. I had flown Huskies many times, but never the new 200 hp Aviat Husky A-1B-200, and as I started to throttle up, I was watching the edge of the runway for any indication that the airplane was trying to turn; it wasn’t. Also, I had a plan: I was going to do a standard Husky three-point, short-field takeoff rather than lifting the tail in the normal manner. What’s the fun in flying an airplane with a big motor if you’re not going to go for the gusto? |
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Thursday, March 1, 2007 TBM 850 Scorching The Airways With Style
Meet Socata’s answer to the very light jetJeff Berlin, Photography by Paul Bowen
 Whoa, the simulator at SimCom never accelerated like this! I’ve just advanced the throttle of N850LA, a brand-new EADS Socata TBM 850 with barely 100 hours, and I feel like I’ve floored the gas pedal in a candy-apple red 1969 Chevy Camaro with a big-block V8. Sure, the sound is different, but I’m pinned to my seat all the same. |
Thursday, March 1, 2007 Liberty XL2: Trainer With A Difference
Cross-country comfort and performance enter the two-seat, flight-training classBill Cox, Photography by Jessica Ambats
 Two-seat general aviation airplanes have had a checkered career at best. For every Cessna 150/152 or Citabria that’s had a model run of 30 years, there have been a half-dozen other types that only lasted for three or five.
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