The CZAW SportCruiser Light Sport Aircraft

This is the CZAW SportCruiser, a "Light Sport Aircraft"operated by Atlanta Sport Flight, LLC. It is an ASTM-certified, factory-built aircraft known as an S-LSA, or Special Light Sport Aircraft. The FAA mandates that Light Sport Aircraft must conform to certain restrictions which make them easy to fly, easy to maintain, and inexpensive to operate. Some of these are:

1320 lbs.or less maximum weight

Fixed landing gear (not retractable)

Not faster than 120 knots (138 mph)

Not more than 2 seats

Must be able to fly at 45 knots (51 mph) or less

Must be sleek and sexy
(Just kidding. That part wasn't actually required.)

The SportCruiser also has an all-metal fuselage (instead of fiberglass,) a 46"-wide cockpit (much wider than most training aircraft,) leather seating, and modern "glass" instrument panel. It alsoburns about half as much fuel as most other training aircraft and has a phenomenal 600+ mile range. Our modern aircraft gets about 18 mpg at 100 mph, straight to your destination. Can your car do that?

For more information on what a Light Sport Aircraft is,click here to visit the EAA web site.

The Instrument Panel

The Atlanta Sport Flight SportCruiser has "glass" panel, which means that pilot information is displayed on flat-panel screens instead of round-dial gauges. To the left is an instrument panel as it looks with gauges and below isour aircraft with Dynon flat-panel display screens.

The pilot normally sits in the left-hand seat. The screen on the left is called an "EFIS," or Electonic Flight Information System, and on the right is an Engine Monitoring System or "EMS". The two screens are wired together so that information from one can be displayed on the other. This way, the pilot can easily scan the engine gauges and a pilot in the right seat will have EFIS information. This versatility makes our SportCruiser easier to use than aircraft with round dials and gauges.

In addition to the flat-panel displays the SportCruiser's panel contains (looking at the center stack of instruments from top to bottom):

• GPS navigation system- In the center of the panel near the top is a Garmin 496 GPS. Its features include: a color display, a moving map with satellite weather displayed on the map, vertical navigation and obstruction warnings, airport diagrams, and a database of services available in virtually every airport in the country. The 496's moving map and weather data greatly increase your awareness of what's around you.
• Navigation and Communication Radio - Below the GPS unit is a Garmin SL30 radio used for both navigation and communication. This VHF radio allows you to talk with other aircraft and with air- and ground-traffic contollers while simultaneously using VHF navigation radio stations called VOR's.
• Transponder - This unit identifies your aircraft to the air traffic controllers' radar and tells the controller your altitude. It also has features such as timers and stopwatches.

Click HERE to see a detailed view of the Instrument Panel!