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An important development in the globalization of sport flight was just announced by Flight Design, the German maker of the CT line of LSA that leads in sales here in the U.S.
The parent company announced its CT line had received Type Design Approval TDA-LSA-0001A from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), as well as a Chinese Production Certificate.
That number is important: the CT will forever be the very first foreign LSA allowed to be sold in China. Although the SkyCatcher is in fact manufactured for Cessna in China, it is not yet certified to be sold and flown in China, though that day can't be too far down the road.
The potential benefit to sport aviation is huge.
Not only is China reportedly building general aviation airports all over the huge nation - a significant change from earlier domestic policy to help its exploding middle class enjoy the fruits of its labors - but its willingness to allow foreign manufacturers to sell their wares signals the first wave of what could prove to be a huge market worldwide.
American manufacturers are surely going to want to be in on this potential boom as it unfolds.
Flight Design's CEO Matthias Betsch noted that the company underwent a full certification audit process for the approval. Chinese authorities, according to the news release, were complimentary of Flight Design for its high production quality, good flying track record and ongoing attention to improving the CT line.
More than 1,500 Flight Design aircraft are now operational in 39 countries world wide.
And with LAMA, EASA, ISO TUV Nord and now CAAC approval, the company's global prestige can't help but expand.
We're not just in Kansas any more, Toto.

Per usual, it's all about the *potential* market in China, never about the actual one. It's not only a problem pertaining general aviation of course, but we are not in Kansas any more indeed, dear Toto.

The Aviation Pavilion built by China's two aviation industrial giants has reached its rooftop.

The whole construction is expected to be completed in March.

The 4,000-square-meter pavilion is funded by the China Aviation Industry Corporation and China Eastern Airlines.

The pavilion, which will look like a huge white cloud in the Puxi section of the Expo site, will give visitors the feeling of "flying in the sky."

It will create a magical atmosphere inside the pavilion using sound, light, electricity, gas and water.

Just how exactly they plan to give visitors the feeling of "flying in the sky" is uncertain. Spiking the drinks?
Also, will there be any airplane inside the "Aviation Pavilion"?

Mary Kirby, the Runway Girl, experiences the Emirates A380 and shows us a little bit of luxury of the first class of this aircraft.