Tue, Oct 13, 2020
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.
Aero-TV is a production of the Internationally syndicated Aero-News Network. Seen worldwide by hundreds of thousands of aviators and aviation adherents, Aero-TV has produced over 2000 aviation and feature programs, including several hundred episodes of our daily aviation news program, AIRBORNE, hosted by Bri Cross & Christopher C. Odom. Parent company, Aero-News Network, has the most aggressive and intensive editorial profile of any aviation news organization and has published nearly 200,000 news and feature stories since its inception -- having pioneered the online 24/7 aviation new-media model that so many have emulated.
©2016 Aero-News Network, Inc., ALL Rights Reserved
More News
"Our 6,000th helicopter built in Canada demonstrates our commitment to manufacturing aircraft capable of performing the most critical missions, as well as our dedication to contrib>[...]
(Pilot) Applied Gentle Aft Pressure On The Control Stick To Regain Control, But An Inflight Separation Of The Right Wing Ensued Analysis: The pilot stated the airspeed may have bee>[...]
Aero Linx: Taylorcraft Foundation, Inc. The Foundation typically participates in 3 events each year: Sun-n-Fun; Lakeland Florida USA. Flyin Taylorcraft, Aeronca and Funk: Barber Ai>[...]
Also: Hartzell Pathfinder Carbon Prop, RAF Flyby, Qatar's BIG Boeing Order?, ‘Luxury Aircraft Tax’ Three MB-339 jets from the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic demons>[...]
Aero Linx: International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA) IFATCA is the recognised international organisation representing air traffic controller associ>[...]
Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.15.25)
See All