Aerotrek LSA's. Pireps? Anyone fly one?

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Todd82

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Anyone ever fly the tricycle Aerotrek LSA? Opinions good or bad? Thanks.
 
Too bad about the trike nonsense, looks like a nice little backcountry plane when it's wheels are in the right places.

aerotrek-light-sport-aircraft-on-skis.jpg
 
Todd82 said:
Anyone ever fly the tricycle Aerotrek LSA? Opinions good or bad? Thanks.
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No experience with them but was fairly impressed on what I read about them and what I saw several years back at OSH.
 
I have almost 500 hours on my 2012 A240, and it's a ton of fun!

I came to the A240 after previously owning a 172L and a 182A. There's really nothing negative I can say about the plane. It performs per the published specs for cruise speed, range, x-wind landings - everything. I feel very comfy flying behind the Rotax 912ULS. I mainly burn 91 octane E-10 mogas that I haul to my hangar from the pump in 2.5 gallon containers. The fit and finish of the interior is outstanding. As for the fabric, my buddy is an A&P who has a lot of experience recovering aircraft, and he says my A240 is the best covering job he's ever seen.

Coming from flying Cessnas, I immediately fell in love with the flight characteristics of my A240. It's VERY responsive (I really like the stick!) - just flick the stick, and there you go! It climbs at 800-1,000 feet per minute.

I mainly fly for fun, but the A240 performs well as a XC plane. My wife and I can load it up with bags and full fuel and fly 3.5 hour legs with plenty of fuel in reserve. It's just about as fast as the 172L I used to own.

The visibility from inside the cockpit is outstanding. I've never been in a helicopter, but that sort of visibility is a proper analogy. You can even fly with a door open at lower speeds if a passenger wants to take photos. And you can fly with the doors off (which I haven't done, but they are pretty easy to remove).

Anyway, don't let the relatively low price fool you - this airplane lives up to all the promises and specs on the Aerotrek website. Also, support has been good when I've needed it. It seems to be a solid company - they've been in business for over 20 years, and there are lots of these planes flying in Europe and now the USA.

TL;DR: Damn good plane.
 
ETres said:
I have almost 500 hours on my 2012 A240, and it's a ton of fun!

I came to the A240 after previously owning a 172L and a 182A. There's really nothing negative I can say about the plane. It performs per the published specs for cruise speed, range, x-wind landings - everything. I feel very comfy flying behind the Rotax 912ULS. I mainly burn 91 octane E-10 mogas that I haul to my hangar from the pump in 2.5 gallon containers. The fit and finish of the interior is outstanding. As for the fabric, my buddy is an A&P who has a lot of experience recovering aircraft, and he says my A240 is the best covering job he's ever seen.

Coming from flying Cessnas, I immediately fell in love with the flight characteristics of my A240. It's VERY responsive (I really like the stick!) - just flick the stick, and there you go! It climbs at 800-1,000 feet per minute.

I mainly fly for fun, but the A240 performs well as a XC plane. My wife and I can load it up with bags and full fuel and fly 3.5 hour legs with plenty of fuel in reserve. It's just about as fast as the 172L I used to own.

The visibility from inside the cockpit is outstanding. I've never been in a helicopter, but that sort of visibility is a proper analogy. You can even fly with a door open at lower speeds if a passenger wants to take photos. And you can fly with the doors off (which I haven't done, but they are pretty easy to remove).

Anyway, don't let the relatively low price fool you - this airplane lives up to all the promises and specs on the Aerotrek website. Also, support has been good when I've needed it. It seems to be a solid company - they've been in business for over 20 years, and there are lots of these planes flying in Europe and now the USA.

TL;DR: Damn good plane.
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So it's not twitchy, pitchy, or bad in the stall like alot of the other horror stories on LSA's? Been reliable too I take it?
 
Todd82 said:
So it's not twitchy, pitchy, or bad in the stall like alot of the other horror stories on LSA's? Been reliable too I take it?
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The stall is as benign as the 182A and much less twitchy than the 172L. I can stall it in any configuration, and it behaves, has no bad habits. It's not as stable in cruise as a heavier plane, but that's part of what makes it such a responsive, fun flier. Yes, it's been reliable.

I guess the only con so far is a lack of A&Ps who have Rotax certification. That being said, you can attend training and gain certification to do your own maintenance, if you're so inclined.
 
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