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| Fred Harl, Carmelo Turdo |
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013 was a haven for all types of aircraft, with the manufacturers of Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) well represented at their exhibit areas and with visiting aircraft parked in the fields surrounding the runways at Wittman Regional Airport. One of the more stylish and versatile LSAs we saw that week was the Sky Arrow, the Italian design distributed in the United States by Giotto Air of San Jose, CA. The 600 and 650 models both sport a sleek, tandem seating arrangement with a Rotax 912 engine driving a pusher propeller behind the cockpit on the high wing structure. The mostly carbon fiber airframes are designed so that the engine and fuel tank mounts can survive an 18g impact load. When cruising at 75% power at 100kts, these LSAs use 5 gallons of fuel/hour, giving over three hours of flight per 18 gallon tank of gas for the Model 650 and five hours per 26 gallon tank for the Model 600. This performance envelope, along with excellent visibility and docile handling, make the Sky Arrow LSA ideal not only for training but also for missions requiring loiter capability such as (manned and unmanned) surveillance, environmental research and aerial broadcasting. 
The Sky Arrow was also a featured aircraft at the recent Midwest LSA Expo held at Mount Vernon Outland Airport:
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| (Mark Nankivil photo) |
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| (Mark Nankivil photo) |
The Sky Arrow has been a vital part of flight training for student pilots enrolled in the Able Flight Scholarship Program. Able Flight Scholarships give people with disabilities an opportunity to experience flight and train to earn their LSA pilot license or other related career rating. An adapted Sky Arrow 600 is used to facilitate the training process for those students who need hand controls to fly the aircraft. The Aero Experience would like to spread the word about this exceptional program by presenting these videos and encouraging our audience to support Able Flight:
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