A Welcome Virus

This EASA-approved Slovenian Light Sport Aircraft comes well equipped, handles nicely, is speedy and will carry a decent load over a long distance with great efficiency

- Dave Unwin

“Salt Prebrief go!” I’m a little slow locating the transceiver and pressing the flip-flop button, and after a brief fumble to change channels hear the fragment “…alt two, one−check in!” I should’ve called “Two’s up” without Al having to ask and he sounds mildly irritated−but then he often does with me. “Salt One, Salt Two” I reply quickly. Deepak nods approvingly “you are very professional” he observes. I grimace ruefully and concentrate on Salt One…

Probably the best bit about being Pilot’s Flight Test Editor is the sheer variety of aircraft that I get to fly, and on a lovely June day last year I got to test two quite different and equally delightful aeroplanes from the same manufacturer. Now, I say different but must allow that when parked next to each other at Saltby airfield in Leicestershire the two aircraft did look remarkably similar, which is perhaps not unexpected as they are both products of the Pipistrel factory in Ajdovscina, Slovenia. Yet upon looking closer, there were several subtle but significant differences. The Dutch registered one had drooped wingtips and a different propeller, the spats seemed bigger and the tail bumper larger. Intrigued, I asked FlyAbout Aviation’s main man Deepak Mahajan, who explained that although they may look alike they’re far from the same, as the G-registered one, the Alpha is a microlight approved for the British market and built to BCAR-S (aka British Civil Airworthiness Requirements, the ‘section S’ bit denoting Small light aeroplanes) while the Dutch-registered Virus SW is based on EASA CS-LSA (Light Sport Aircraft) construction standards.