Tue, Mar 15, 2022
ANN assistant news editor, Earl Downs, set out on a mission at EAA AirVenture 2016 to search out some honest-to-goodness real ultralights. His trek took him to the ultralight field on the south end of Wittman Regional Airport that is commonly referred to as, ‘the fun zone’.
Downs met up with Bryan Melborn, the owner and CEO of the Kolb Aircraft Company. Kolb aircraft was one of the early entries into the ultralight business in the 1980s and they are still going strong. In the video, you’ll be introduced to their FAR 103 legal “Firefly.”
You’ll see that this neat little aircraft not only meets the requirements to be legal to fly as an ultralight, it’s also well developed, well built, and offers some convenient features. Melborn points out that this airplane is now available with a 50 horsepower engine that is still light enough to meet the ultralight requirements. It even has the convenience of folding wings.
The video provides all the details, and remember, these aircraft can be operated without being licensed or registered, and they may also be flown by noncertified operators. The world of ultralights is all about the ultimate in recreational flying.
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