If you haven’t been following the news coming out of EAA AirVenture 2007, the Cessna Model 162 Skycatcher has been announced. It’s a new light sport aircraft, and the spiritual successor to the long-discontinued Model 152 & 150 trainers. Two seats, Garmin G300 glass (so new that Garmin hasn’t even announced it yet, though it will presumably function much like half of a G600), Continental O-200D engine, and apparently an airframe parachute will be optional. Cirrus has also decided to go ahead with “their” SR Sport, actually FK Lightplanes’ FK-14 Polaris, powered by the somewhat maintenance-intensive Rotax 912S.

With the major GA companies getting into light sport manufacturing, it’s likely that FBOs will start taking the new crop of two seaters seriously as trainers. The regulations allow flight instruction and rental using production LSAs, and Cessna and Cirrus all have widespread support centers. Most training these days is done in four-seat aircraft, yet there’s no sense in flying around two empty seats on 9 or 10 gallons an hour, especially with constantly rising fuel costs. Light sport offers lower acquisition costs, lowered maintenance costs, and should become a popular option for training.

List prices for new Cessna 172 Skyhawks run between $219,500 and $254,500; all models are equipped with Garmin G1000 glass. The Cirrus SR20 uses the (less capable) Avidyne FlightMax glass, starts at $257,000, and goes as high as $342,000. Meanwhile, the new 162 Skycatcher starts at $109,500, and the SR Sport will probably be in the same range. They’re not exactly cheap – older two seaters can go as low as $16,000 – but for a new aircraft a hundred grand is downright affordable.

What’s most interesting about the light sport rules is that existing pilots are already rated to fly the aircraft. There are two ways that this can work; the first is that any pilot with a valid licenses and current medical can fly an LSA with their existing privileges and limitations! The other option is for the pilot to effectively downgrade their license to a Light Sport rating with the associated restrictions, which include no night flight or use of towered airports and airspace without a logbook endorsement. The first 162s will be reaching buyers next year, and I hope to see them popping up at FBOs around the country soon. The first chance to fly one that comes along, I’ll take for sure!