Personal Flight continues to "push the envelope" in Ultralight Flying Fun
Don Reinhard, owner of Personal Flight Inc., recently acquired a Cosmos Phase II trike on Full Lotus floats. After arriving here at our new location at the South end of Lake Chelan, Washington, we were anxious to see how this new combination of trike and floats would perform.
The Cosmos "high speed floats" are awesome floats for flying with the faster wings but we wanted to get a first hand look and also experience flying with these unique and durable floats in combination with a big ZOOM 19 wing. Our Cosmos Phase II is equipped with a Rotax 582 engine so we were confident we had plenty of power in reserve to get out of even the stickiest situation with out getting our feet wet, so to speak. With the Cosmos silencer package installed, we were quieter on taxi and about just as loud on takeoff s the jet skis and watercraft plowing the lake around us. This would be an important consideration from a buyers perspective; especially with the public's concern about noise pollution caused by personal watercraft.
Before we got the wing on we had quite a gathering of spectators. Comments ranged from "are you giving rides on that air boat?" to "what in the heck is that thing?".
It was a calm and beautiful spring day; perfect for flying and taking the "air boat" for our maiden voyage. Don taxied the Phase II, minus wing, out to the open waters and throttled up to about 20-30 kts to see how she behaved. Hey! Who needs a wing, anyway? This is too much fun! The Phase II had plenty of power, the floats were stable and rose up out of the water onto "the step" effortlessly. Time to put the wing on and show these people what it's really all about.
Don Reinhard, owner of Personal Flight Inc., recently acquired a Cosmos Phase II trike on Full Lotus floats. After arriving here at our new location at the South end of Lake Chelan, Washington, we were anxious to see how this new combination of trike and floats would perform.
The Cosmos "high speed floats" are awesome floats for flying with the faster wings but we wanted to get a first hand look and also experience flying with these unique and durable floats in combination with a big ZOOM 19 wing. Our Cosmos Phase II is equipped with a Rotax 582 engine so we were confident we had plenty of power in reserve to get out of even the stickiest situation with out getting our feet wet, so to speak. With the Cosmos silencer package installed, we were quieter on taxi and about just as loud on takeoff s the jet skis and watercraft plowing the lake around us. This would be an important consideration from a buyers perspective; especially with the public's concern about noise pollution caused by personal watercraft.
Before we got the wing on we had quite a gathering of spectators. Comments ranged from "are you giving rides on that air boat?" to "what in the heck is that thing?".
It was a calm and beautiful spring day; perfect for flying and taking the "air boat" for our maiden voyage. Don taxied the Phase II, minus wing, out to the open waters and throttled up to about 20-30 kts to see how she behaved. Hey! Who needs a wing, anyway? This is too much fun! The Phase II had plenty of power, the floats were stable and rose up out of the water onto "the step" effortlessly. Time to put the wing on and show these people what it's really all about.
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The Zoom 19 wing sets up in about 20-25 minutes and connects to the trike easily. We were setting it up on the beach adjacent to the boat launch area and attracting still more attention. By the time we were ready for launch the wind had picked up quite a bit and there was mild chop on the water. Don was a little hesitant; only because this was his first flight with the Full Lotus Floats. He had a lot of confidence in the wing, however, and knew he would get off the water in a hurry. Boy did he! I would guess that in a space of about 50-75 feet he broke the surface tension of the water and that wing took off like a rocket! Everyone on the beach was either clapping and whooping it up or in dead silence with their mouths agape. It was hilarious. After a few passes over the south end of the lake and giving everyone a show, it was time for the final test. Don brought her around into the wind, throttled down, and floated that big Zoom 19 wing into a perfect splash down. That's what I would call it, not any "roll out" to speak of, really.
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Don was ecstatic and had nothing but praise for the way it handled throughout the entire flight. Those people at Full Lotus have done a remarkable job. I encourage anyone considering floats for their aircraft to give these a real hard look. Very simple in design, very redundant in safety features, and rugged as all get out. I watched their amazing promotional video a few months ago and after witnessing this demonstration, I feel extremely confident in their ability to withstand the rigors of flying in even the remotest, most rugged locations that you might never had even imagined before.
Personal Flight continues to break all sales records in gross sales and volume. Already this year we have sold more trikes than all of last year. Over the past 2-3 years we have watched them grow in popularity at the air shows, and finally, people are starting to realize why. NO aircraft - nothing, compares to a trike in cost/performance, versatility, safety, and ease of learning to fly. We receive numerous inquiries every day by phone and e-mail from pilots in general aviation, corporate pilots, airline pilots, and beginners who want to experience what flying is really all about - fun and freedom. It is the sport of the new millennium.
Bill Lishman, Operation Migration, of "Fly Away Home" fame will be showcased this year at Oshkosh. He will have on hand his modified Cosmos Goose and a couple of his other Phase II trikes. I am sure he will be a popular attraction. Paul Hamilton of Adventure Productions, Reno, NV, will be at the Arlington, WA, EAA Fly-In from July 7-11, at our invitation, to shoot footage of various manufacturers' trikes.
This video will b available around Christmas time for release and should add more fuel to the fire. We can't wait for the new Cosmos SAMBA with floats to arrive here in about 6 weeks. We have had reports from the factory that it works like a charm. This, I have got to see. A Far 103 legal minimalist trike on floats... stay tuned.
Ron Turner
Personal Flight
Personal Flight continues to break all sales records in gross sales and volume. Already this year we have sold more trikes than all of last year. Over the past 2-3 years we have watched them grow in popularity at the air shows, and finally, people are starting to realize why. NO aircraft - nothing, compares to a trike in cost/performance, versatility, safety, and ease of learning to fly. We receive numerous inquiries every day by phone and e-mail from pilots in general aviation, corporate pilots, airline pilots, and beginners who want to experience what flying is really all about - fun and freedom. It is the sport of the new millennium.
Bill Lishman, Operation Migration, of "Fly Away Home" fame will be showcased this year at Oshkosh. He will have on hand his modified Cosmos Goose and a couple of his other Phase II trikes. I am sure he will be a popular attraction. Paul Hamilton of Adventure Productions, Reno, NV, will be at the Arlington, WA, EAA Fly-In from July 7-11, at our invitation, to shoot footage of various manufacturers' trikes.
This video will b available around Christmas time for release and should add more fuel to the fire. We can't wait for the new Cosmos SAMBA with floats to arrive here in about 6 weeks. We have had reports from the factory that it works like a charm. This, I have got to see. A Far 103 legal minimalist trike on floats... stay tuned.
Ron Turner
Personal Flight