What if a light sport aircraft could cruise at 138 knots? Two Tulsa, Oklahoma, pilots are banking on the FAA’s proposed changes to the LSA rules (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) to create a U.S. market for the sleek, efficient ultralights of Europe.
Europe’s regulatory equivalent of LSA allows for faster speeds and more complexity than the FAA category, which has enabled a wave of sleek, efficient European ultralights. So, when Shannon Hankins and Alan Jackson decided they wanted to become dealers of a modern aircraft that would serve the next generation of pilots, they looked to Europe. They found the Gogetair G750.
“This particular aircraft appealed to us due to its aesthetics, and the overall efficiency and maintainability of this airplane is what made it very attractive to us,” said Hankins, president of Gogetair completion center Scissortail Aerosport. Gogetair offers the G750 with a choice of the Rotax 912iS, 915iS, or 916iS, ranging in horsepower from 100 to 160. It has an optimal cruise speed of 138 KIAS, with an estimated fuel consumption of 5 gph.
Hankins said he and Jackson traveled to Slovenia in 2022 to visit the Gogetair factory and decided to sell the aircraft in the United States. Scissortail Aerosport has delivered one G750 in the United States, and a second G750 demonstrator was on display at EAA AirVenture 2024 in Wisconsin. They’re currently selling the aircraft in the experimental exhibition category and hope proposed changes to the LSA category will enable them to sell the G750 as a special LSA.
Gogetair advertises a stall speed of 38 KIAS, maximum gross weight of 1,653 pounds, and a useful load of 770 pounds. The G750 has fixed gear, and takeoff distance ranges from 394 feet with the 916iS to 787 feet with the 912iS. Maximum operating altitude is 14,760 feet, and an optional rear seat can seat two children up to 55 pounds each. Pricing ranges from $290,000 for the base Dynon Sport model to $350,000 for a luxury IFR model.