Enough Of The Excuses... Here Are Our Final Decisions On The Best Birds Of The Year

Final Compilations by ANN Editor-In-Chief/Roving Aeronaut, Jim Campbell

Each year, we put our heads together, look over reader input as well as our own reports and other sources of info and try to recognize the VERY BEST aircraft in a number of pivotal categories. This particular series will cover the aircraft we consider to be the VERY BEST of the whole breed.

The following award categories have been established:

• E-LSA Kit Category
• S-LSA RTF (Ready To Fly) Category
• Amateur-Built/Experimental Kit Category
• GA Piston-Single Engine Category
• GA Piston-Twin Engine Category
• GA Turbine-Single Engine (Turboprop)
• GA Turbine-Multi Engine (Turboprop)
• GA Turbine (Jet)
• Plane Of The Year (The Best Of Them All -- Regardless of Category)

Each year, the choices get tougher. Worse; we tend to also make it more difficult by tightening the reins on the decision making process so that it gets harder and harder to make the cut as the best in any category, much less wind up at the top of the pack as our Overall Plane Of The Year selection.

As this year came to a close, we also made some additional decisions as to what constitutes a "Best of Breed" and how wide we wanted to cast the net and wound up adding some categories to recognize some birds that truly deserved the nod. As noted in past years, it struck us that naming an overall "best" aircraft across the entire spectrum of general (or sport) aviation is probably no longer reasonable. Which isn't to say that we won't make a selection... but that we reserve the right not to do so if no specific aircraft steps to deserve the title. There are simply too many aircraft that have distinguished themselves in too many outstanding ways for one to readily be called better than the other on an overall basis. One man's perfect high-speed Hot-Rod, for instance, becomes the expensive "way too hot to handle" mistake of another pilot whose mission requirements may differ markedly. So... we're going to cop out -- just a bit, mind you. From here on out, we will name the best aircraft in individual categories, and reserve the right in the future to whittle down those categories as necessary which means that MAYBE we WON'T name an overall winner each year... and MAYBE  we will -- we're picky that way. The fact of the matter is that no one airplane is all things to all pilots, and within the spectrum that we have decided on, these are the aircraft selections that truly impressed us in each of the chosen categories -- and that each year, MAYBE there will be an overall winner... and MAYBE not.

Are we absolutely (crystal) clear on this now (grin)?

Let me also note that while aircraft that previously were named Best Of Breed in any category, or overall, are eligible for inclusion in this year's list, we have decided to make it more difficult (in our judging protocols) for a previous winner to take the top spot in our judging criteria, so that a repeat winner truly earns the distinction (and frankly, that hasn't happened in a while). And finally... we totally reserve the right to weasel out a bit and name more than one winner in a category where the margin of victory is simply too close (or subjective) to call.

That said, herewith our selections for ANN's 2009 Plane of The Year:  E-LSA

RANS S-6/7 series

E-LSA is kind of an interesting category but it has the potential to be pretty important one as the future of the LSA program starts to firm up. The E-LSA designation is one that was designed to flown by sport pilots, while the aircraft (that do not otherwise conform with elder amateur-built certification requirements) have to be based on designs that have earned Special-LSA (S-LSA) airworthiness certificate. E-LSA's are subject to the regs specific to the program and must conduct an annual inspection undertaken only an LSA repairman with an Inspection rating, an LSA repairman with a Maintenance rating, an A&P, or a CRS (certified repair station). And yes, we're being liberal with our definition of what constitutes an E-LSA for the moment... though we expect the industry will firm up some of our thoughts on this in the coming years.

The spirit behind LSA seems to be to give the buyer all the benefits of a 'certified' LSA design but allow them the savings and or personal satisfaction that can be accrued by building it themselves. As such, economics is often a major part of the buying decision when it comes to selecting an E-LSA... that being the case, few aircraft are as cost-effective, buildable or offer as much "real aircraft" performance as the RANS S6 and S7 series.

RANS S6 Series

The RANS S6 is available in a number of configurations and offers side by side seating as well as your choice of landing gear configurations. RANS Designer, Randy Schlitter, has an uncanny ability to come up with well-packaged designs that fit their mission profile well, and also raise the bar a bit in their category... while there are undoubtedly a LOT of high-wing two seaters with side-by-side cabins, few of them exhibit the combination of solid manners, credible performance and economical operations that is embodied in the S-6 design series...

The S7 is a tandem design... kind of a Schlitter version of the Super Cub... with tandem seating, conventional gear and some truly outstanding manners (much improved over the otherwise pleasant early S-7 variants)... and boy, can it play 'STOL'. On one not-so-windy day (by Kansas standards, Schlitter demoed the ability of the S-7 'Courier' to take off ACROSS a runway (but yes, it does handle crosswinds exceedingly well. The Courier, in one form or another, has been in production since 1995, enjoying steady sales and a consistent upgrade path. In early 1998, a version of the Courier, the S-7C, was created and in September of 2001 this plane actually received a Primary Aircraft TC, before the LSA movement pretty much killed that category off.

RANS S7 Series

Overall; these are very well-designed aircraft, built by dependable company with a proven track record... and a fitting recipient of the kudos associated with being named ANN's E-LSA of 2009.

FMI: www.rans.com