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.

June 20, 2017

2017 Beechcraft Bonanza G36
Specifications
Beechcraft Bonanza G36 on the ramp

The airplane we flew for this report was an early model production Bonanza G36 outfitted with the Garmin G1000 NXi flat-panel avionics suite with redundant dual-color displays, Garmin GFC 700 integrated autopilot, dual ADAHRS, standard ADS-B In and Out, enhanced digital HSI, Vertical Situation Display, Visual Approach capability, Surface Watch ground operations utility, SiriusXM Weather more »
May 26, 2017

We Fly The Cirrus Jet: Five Surprising Takeaways

You’ll be reading a lot about the Cirrus Jet (officially, the SF50 Vision Jet) in the weeks and months to come, but nowhere except in Plane & Pilot will you read the real story behind the story. Look for our coverage of this remarkable little jet in our upcoming August issue. And for now, a quick more »
May 23, 2017

Used Cessna 182 Skylanes
Still in production 60 years after its introduction, the Cessna Skylane remains one of the most popular used airplanes. Here's what to look for in a vintage 182, from 1956 to 2016.

It seems like the Skylane is everyone’s friend. It’s certainly one of mine. The Cessna 182 was the first honest four-seater I flew after earning my license, and I loved it. If you’re like me, you’re probably among the thousands of Skylane enthusiasts. That’s not surprising, as the Skylane exemplifies the primary qualities that have more »
May 17, 2017

The New Economics Of Flying
New technology is bringing older airplanes back to life and into the reach of a lot more pilots

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote my first check to my finance company for my not-so-new Cessna 182. The airplane, a 1964 G-model, is exactly the kind of plane that’s today benefiting from a revolution in aircraft electronics, with the FAA enthusiastically working to bring new avionics into the cockpits of light, relatively inexpensive planes, more »
April 18, 2017

Cessna 182 Skylane NXi: We Fly It First
How the world’s most popular utility plane is better than ever

I won’t make any bones about it. We were getting our butts kicked as we climbed out on what seemed as though it should be an ideal early spring afternoon. The conditions were CAVU, dry air and severe clear blue skies cradling the green and rolling Hill Country of Central Texas as we headed slightly more »
March 20, 2017

We Fly NXi: Garmin G1000 Reborn
It might look the same, but it’s better in a hundred ways

There’s a new G1000 in town, G1000 NXi. And while the name might imply a minor upgrade to the legendary flat-panel system, nothing could be further from the truth. NXi is a new ballgame. Since its introduction a decade ago in the Cessna Citation Mustang and Skyhawk, Garmin’s seminal flat-panel avionics suite has become the more »
March 15, 2017

Sport Cruiser Rises
The airplane that briefly became the Piper Sport becomes itself again. Five reasons why that’s a very good thing.

Introduced just over a decade ago, the Czech Sport Aircraft Sport Cruiser is one of the most popular Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) on the market. With more than 600 operating worldwide and more than 300 in the United States alone, the two-seater continues to impress pilots and to get better. I’d heard good things about more »
February 28, 2017

Hybrid Aircraft?
The first hybrid propulsion experiments have already taken flight, and capabilities are scaling up rapidly

My father’s dreams of flight were powered by avgas. Lots and lots of it. For his generation, big, radial Wright Cyclone engines and Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12s were the ticket skyward—transforming about 100 gallons an hour into 300 knots or more of speed and an instantly recognizable percussion that those in any nearby zip codes would more »
February 15, 2017

Hamilton aEro: New Era In Flight
Will battery-powered planes democratize aerobatics? Sure looks like it.

Raron, Switzerland: This little Alpine village, also the final resting place of the celebrated poet Rainer Maria Rilke, is tucked away in the Canton of Valais. Here, you can almost hear him polishing his lines: “To write a single verse, you must first see many towns, people and things; you need to know the animals, more »
February 8, 2017

Plane & Pilot 2017 Buyer’s Guide: Light Sport Aircraft
From amphibians to trainers, there's an LSA for everyone.

Since the debut of the Light Sport category more than a decade ago, the segment has grown into one that has proven its promise of opening up manufacturing to many, many more companies by the common-sense easing of certification standards for light and modest-performing models. The real surprise to many has been the incredible variety more »
February 8, 2017

2017 Rans S20LS Raven
Specifications

Base Price: $119,000 (factory-built fly-away) Seats: 2 Main Construction: Tubular frame with fabric/metal Engine/Hp: Rotax 912 ULS/100 hp Propeller: Warp Drive, 2-blade, ground adjustable, 70” diameter Avionics: Non-integrated VFR analog, Garmin aera 660 GPS Top Cruise Speed: 97 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 28 kts Maximum Range: 506 nm Maximum Takeoff Weight: 1,320 lbs. Payload: 424 lbs. (full more »
February 8, 2017

2017 Bristell NG 5 LSA
Specifications

Base Price: $130,000 Seats: 2 Main Construction: Metal Engine/ Hp: Rotax 912 ULS/100 hp Propeller: FITI Eco, 3-blade, in-flight adjustable, 62” diameter Avionics: Garmin G3X Touch Top Cruise Speed: 120 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 31 kts Maximum Range: 700 nm Maximum Takeoff Weight: 1,323 lbs. Payload: 403 lbs. (full fuel) Useful Load: 617 lbs. Takeoff/Landing Distance (No Obstacle): more »
February 8, 2017

2017 Sport Cruiser
Specifications

Base Price: $160,000 Seats: 2 Main Construction: Metal Engine/Hp: Rotax 912 ULS2/100 hp Propeller: Woodcomp Klassic, 3-blade, composite, ground-adjustable, 67” diameter Avionics: Dynon SkyView Top Cruise Speed: 120 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 31 kts Maximum Range: 516 nm (30-min. reserve) Maximum Takeoff Weight: 1,320 lbs. Payload: 285 lbs. (full fuel) Useful Load: 520 lbs. Takeoff/Landing more »
February 8, 2017

2017 Van’s RV-12
Specifications

Base Price: $115,000 Seats: 2 Main Construction: Metal Engine/Hp: Rotax 912 ULS/100 hp Propeller: Sensenich, 2-blade, composite, ground adjustable, 70” diameter Avionics: Dynon SkyView or Garmin G3X Touch Top Cruise Speed: 114 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 41 kts Maximum Range: 534 nm Maximum Takeoff Weight: 1,320 lbs. Payload: 460 lbs. Useful Load: 590 lbs. Takeoff/Landing more »
February 8, 2017

2017 Zenith CH750
Specifications

Base Price: $75,000 (depends on builder choices) Seats: 2 Main Construction: Metal Engine/Hp: Variable/80 -140 hp; Specs for Continental O-200-A/100 hp Propeller: Variable with engine selection Avionics: Dynon SkyView Top Cruise Speed: 87 kts Stall, Landing Configurations: 30 kts Maximum Range: 383 nm (no reserve) Maximum Takeoff Weight: 1,320 lbs. Payload: 401 lbs. (full fuel) more »
February 8, 2017

2017 FlightDesign CTLSi
Specifications

Base Price: $173,910 Seats: 2 Main Construction: Composite Engine/Hp: Rotax 912 iS/100 hp Propeller: Neuform, 3-blade, composite, ground adjustable, 65” diameter Avionics: Dynon SkyView Top Cruise Speed: 115 kts (75% power) Stall, Landing Configuration: 39 kts Maximum Range: 1,005 nm (no reserve) Maximum Takeoff Weight: 1,320 lbs. Payload: 346 lbs. (full fuel) Useful Load: 550 lbs. Takeoff/Landing more »
February 8, 2017

2017 Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey
Specifications

Base Price: $80,000 (depends on builder choices) Seats: 2 Main Construction: Tubular frame with fabric Engine/Hp: Variable/64-115 hp; Specs for Rotax 912 ULS/100 hp Propeller: Warp drive, 3-blade, composite, ground adjustable, 68” diameter Avionics: AF5-5500 EFIS, Garmin aera 500 GPS Top Cruise Speed: 80 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 33 kts Maximum Range: 316 nm Maximum Takeoff Weight: more »
February 8, 2017

2017 Tecnam P2002 Sierra Mk2
Specifications

Base Price: $150,000 Seats: 2 Main Construction: Metal Engine/Hp: Rotax 912 ULS2/100 hp Propeller: Sensenich, 2-blade, fixed pitch, 68” diameter Avionics: Dynon SkyView or Garmin G3X Top Cruise Speed: 120 kts Stall, Landing Configuration: 38 kts Maximum Range: 600 nm Maximum Takeoff Weight: 1,389 lbs. Payload: 406 lbs. Useful Load: 514 lbs. Takeoff/Landing Distance (No Obstacle): 860/558 more »

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