– Steve Hitchen
We live in the age of the influencer: people who haunt the internet looking for any opportunity to spout their expertise and knowledge on any subject. They call themselves media; they are anything but. The difference between media and influencer is that genuine media tell you a story for your benefit, whereas influencers tell you a story for their benefit. Whether or not the story is true is, quite honestly, irrelevant to them. They are impervious to the consequences of their own opinions. There are many influencers in aviation also, and some of them are nothing short of dangerous. However, there are also some quite expert people out there using the internet as a way of disseminating important information that can help you be a better pilot, or simply expand your own knowledge base. The trick is to know the difference between the two. What I do, is ask myself why the story is being told, and how the story is being told. Influencers generally over-inflate their own qualifications and fear being called out, making themselves the focus of their video or post, not you. Expert media are not afraid of telling you up front who they are and what they stand for. They'll provide curated evidence behind their contentions and, in many cases, advise you to research further. Influencers don't do that. Influencers want you to take what they say as gospel and not question it. My advice would be to take anything and everything you hear, see or read to a flying instructor before acting on it. But then, who am I to influence you?
Talking with people around the GA industry and community, I am gathering quite a few differing opinions about the new MOSAIC regulations, several of which betray an underlying misunderstanding. For example, there seems to be a prevailing impression that, when adopted, the MOSAIC regulations mean all LSAs will no longer have MTOWs. Sorry, if your LSA was originally limited to 600 kg it stays there unless the manufacturer is prepared to raise it. Another one is that RAAus will automatically be able to administer the new standard. That's also a furphy ... for now. CASA has a tonne of work to get through first (the FAA rule document is over 700 pages long) before deciding to further raise the MTOW limit for an ASAO that has only recently had its limit raised to 760 kg. But perhaps the most bewildering of all is an opinion the new LSA standard will have no impact at all. I find this one hard to get my head around. When the original LSA standard was introduced the impact on GA was phenomenal; why would an expansion that adds capability and performance not produce another upheaval? Larger engines, more useful load, new technology, retractable gear. LSAs stand to seize a chunk of market from type certified aeroplanes. To try get a better handle on the industry thinking, we've created a short survey about the impact of MOSAIC on GA. It's only seven questions long, and is not designed to produce an accurate measure, but rather a small taste of general opinion. If you get a chance, click on the survey in the Australian Flying news feed and let us know your feeling on MOSAIC.
Japan is emerging as a catalytic market for the spread of sustainable aviation technology. As a relatively small country made up of many islands, it suits well the prime mission for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), which will rely on stable, reliable electric powertrains. It's a logical step, then, for Queensland's Stralis Aircraft to make their own inroads in research and development in The Land of the Rising Sun. This is a bit of a coup for Stralis; I imagine there are companies in both Europe and the USA that would love a collaboration such as this one. It demonstrates that Australian technology and know-how in propulsion systems of the future is as good as anywhere in the world. It won't be long now before Stralis gets their hydrogen-electric Bonanza in the air for the first time, and with this agreement under their belts, will be able to look well beyond their current horizons.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch