perfidy

It's finally happened! After years of delays, the Light Sport Aircraft regulations have finally been published by the FAA. Light Sportplanes are small, two-seat planes with significant limits on engines, payload, and gross weight. They have very low stall speeds, are comparatively easy to fly, and are dramatically less expensive than conventional certified aircraft.

With any luck this will usher in a new age of innovation in the small aircraft business, and make flying much more affordable for members of the general public. American kitplane manufacturers have been doing fantastic design work for a long time now, but have never been able to sell their creations in finished form to the public, who will now be able to buy at least some of them. The market so far has been occupied by European companies, whose aviation regulations permitted the "advanced ultralight" designation.

Aero-News has a good summary.

It's nice to see the jobs being created, and the cost of flying lowered.