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.
I’ve become a big fan in recent years of Milan Bristela, the Czech airplane designer who’s behind the shape of a few LSA on the market right now, including the BRM Bristell a carbon fiber sport plane that pushes the limits of the term “sport” with its list of quality (and quantity) of life features more »
Subscribe today to Plane & Pilot magazine for news, reviews and more! When the Aviat A-1 Husky first took wing in 1986, it was a pretty barebones take on the Piper PA-18 Super Cub design. More than three decades later, it’s a lot more than that, as the designers at Aviat have refined the Husky’s design, more »
Within aviation, the drive to create is infectious, and I caught the bug after my first visit to EAA’s Oshkosh Fly-In back in 1992. I spent the week with eyes wide open, amazed at the number of entrepreneurs and inventors touting new aircraft and technologies in the making. I knew at that moment that my more »
We turned the corner and crossed the hold short line to the blast off section of Runway 17 in this new Skyhawk we were flying, N688CS. It was my usual haunt, San Marcos, Texas, and the November air was still too warm for late fall, though the stability of the air, luckily, could have been more »
For decades, the most popular GA planes have been four seaters. That hasn’t changed. The reason is easy. Most owners want more room than you get in a two-seater, but they don’t need that much more room. A four-seater fits the bill perfectly. While few of these planes travels regularly (or at all) with all more »
Great ideas sometimes take on a life of their own, and make no mistake: The High Sierra Fly-In is a great idea. The three-day event, which takes place annually on a remote dry lake bed in Nevada called Dead Cow Lake (we kid you not), got done with its long weekend of shared aviation insanity more »
Main Construction: Steel tubular frame with fabric, metal wings Engine/HP: Lycoming O-360-C1F/180 hp Propeller: Hartzell, 2-blade, metal, constant speed, 76” diameter Avionics: Analog Six-pack, JPI EDM-930 Top Cruise Speed: 120 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 35 kts Max Range: 932 nm (30-minute reserve) Max Takeoff Weight: 2,500 lbs. Payload (full fuel): 425 lbs. Useful Load: 935 more »
Main Construction: Steel tubular frame with fabric, metal wings Engine/HP: Lycoming O-540-B4B5/235 hp Propeller: Hartzell or McCauley, 2- or 3-blade, metal, constant speed, 78”- 81” diameter Avionics: Analog Six-pack, JPI EDM-930 Top Cruise Speed: 137 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 35 kts Max Range: 800 nm (30-minute reserve) Max Takeoff Weight: 2,500 lbs. Payload (full fuel): more »
Main Construction: Metal Engine/HP: Lycoming IO-360-M1A/180 hp Propeller: Hartzell, 2-blade, metal, constant speed, 74” diameter Avionics: Garmin G500 Top Cruise Speed: 130 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 51 kts Max Range: 591 nm Max Takeoff Weight: 2,546 lbs. Payload (full fuel): 619 lbs. Useful Load: 919 lbs. Takeoff/Landing Distance: 1,608 ft./1,575 ft. (50 ft. Obstacle)
We were getting a leisurely start to our Wednesday, as I trimmed up the plane and settled back in my seat, watching the surf-sandy central California coastline slide by to our right and the Channel Islands, hazy blue in the morning Pacific haze, 20 miles out across the sound, drift behind us on the left. more »
Can you identify the manufacturer of each unusual plane below? Be careful! Many of them often get mistaken for different aircraft. Looking for more ways to test your aviation knowledge? Check out our Quiz Archives!
If you were to ask a representative sample of American pilots to name a handful of beautiful airplanes, the North American P-51 Mustang would be on almost everyone’s short list. I know because I’ve been asking that question for years now. What makes an airplane beautiful—for that matter, what makes anything or anyone beautiful—is largely more »
Over the past couple of decades, we’ve come a long way in understanding the nature of the risk we face when flying, especially when flying in instrument conditions, and the role that automation can play in that overall risk picture. We’ve also realized the importance of recognizing where a pilot’s performance might fall short and more »
You know the sound. You get in your vehicle, put the key in the ignition, turn the key, and hear the starter turn over in a slow, ow, ow, ow growl…until it dies. You have a dead battery, and you need a jump to get going. So you jump it. Once you have it started, more »
Want to learn more about electric aircraft? Read our article about the Hamilton aEro.
The Mooney Ovation Ultra we flew for this report is the 2017 certification model. It features the Garmin G1000 NXi with integral keypad, GFC700 digital autopilot, dual solid-state attitude and air data sensors, traffic and terrain awareness utilities, Garmin ESP envelope protection, Garmin ADS-B In and Out, Sirius XM weather and entertainment, and more. Price more »
Here are the winners of the 2017 Plane & Pilot Plane of the Year, but before announcing the winners, a few words about what this is and how it happened. Once upon a time, it was easier to assemble of field of contenders, what with the slow rate of new airplane introduction we’ve seen these more »
We recently asked you, our readers, for some help filling the last spot on our list of the ten most beautiful general aviation airplanes around. The response was amazing, but left us with a bit of a problem—tallies for the top four most-voted-for planes—the Piper Aerostar, Rockwell Commander, Piper Comanche and Spartan Executive—were too close more »