LSA n Highway in the Sky

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What is Light Sport Aircraft

Light Sport Aircraft is a relatively new rating from the FAA. A Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) may look a lot like what most people envision when they think of an "airplane," or it can look like something very different. A Light Sport Aircraft is a registered aircraft that is not a powered lift or a true helicopter, is light in weight, has a simple design, can carry only one or two people (including the pilot), and is limited in horsepower (if powered) and speed. It is heavier than an ultralight, but lighter than most standard category small aircraft.

Maximum gross takeoff weight—1,320 lbs, or 1,430 lbs for seaplanes

Maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power (Vh)—138 mph (120 knots) CAS

Single or two-seat aircraft only

Single, reciprocating engine, including rotary or diesel engines

Fixed or ground-adjustable propeller

Unpressurized cabin

Fixed landing gear, except for an aircraft intended for operation on water

Aircraft under this certification may be used for sport and recreation, flight training, and aircraft rental

Will have FAA registration—N-number

U.S. or foreign manufacture of light-sport aircraft is authorized

You can be flying an LSA in as little as 20 hours!

What is Highway in the Sky

NASA and the FAA have developed a computer and tracking system called the Highway in the Sky. Using satellites and global positioning system, the Highway in the Sky will provide a heads up display for a pilot. It will be much like a video game, that will create a virtual box in which the pilot has to keep his vehicle in to keep it from crashing into others.

A flight display system that replaces the old-fashioned instrument panel is the hallmark of the NASA Advanced General Aviation Transportation Experiment (AGATE) cockpit revolution. The display system is the foundation for NASA's Highway in the Sky (HITS) initiative, which is developing affordable glass cockpits for single-engine, single-pilot airplanes.

NASA created this technology to cut the rate of fatal aviation accidents that occur because of lowered visibility and spatial disorientation, common problems that arise in poor weather conditions, in the dark, or with inexperienced pilots. The result of the technology is a 3-D display for pilots, which provides clear vision, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. It also replaces the buoys with a series of onscreen markers that draw a virtual highway in the sky, on which the pilots can fly. The new cockpit display system helps pilots fly through bad weather, and it has incredible life-saving potential.