Gobosh 700S.. Incredible
We didn’t actually see it when we landed, but we could feel it. A Gobosh 700 sends out a magnetic pull that invites you to fly. Foothill Flying Club at Cable Airport in Upland showed us their number one rental, a Gobosh 700S that leaps off the ground and hurls itself into the sky with hardly any effort at better than a thousand feet a minute, we were at pattern altitude before we ever started to think about turning downwind. I had always thought LSA was meant weak and slow, now I see that at that time I had the great misfortune of being an idiot. Light Sport can use the lightweight requirement as a distinct advantage. Flying the Gobosh felt very similar to a 150 horse Citabria, with the stick and rudder, light weight, high power energy in the palm of your hand sort of excitement that we wait for constantly and find only rarely. And did I mention that it rents for only $113 an hour and burns only 3.5 to 5 gph.. It costs just 200 George Washingtons to join the club and 20 Georges a month in dues and for that you are on the club insurance, which is a great deal all the way around.
The low down on the Gobosh 700S looks like this. The S is for steam gauges. The 700X will give you the glass panel. Gobosh is a certified aircraft in Europe so it is manufactured to a higher standard than the ASTM standards most LSA makers are aiming for. Some of the specs beyond the obvious euro-sleek design include a Rotax 912 power plant which produces 100 hp at only 96 cubic inches while weighing only 140 pounds and only looking at tbo’s of 1500-1800 hours, with auto fuel use okay. It is oil cooled and turns at around 5000 rpms, so the propeller is connected to a simple gearbox for a more traditional rpm out front. In case of a prop strike the gearbox protects the engine by absorbing the shock. The electrical system acts like magnetos, but is actually made up of solid-state electronic distribution modules with 2 spark plugs per cylinder. Electricity is generated constantly from the turning crankshaft, and produces a healthy 18 amps and 12 volts. Control surfaces are on roller bearings and connected to pushrods. But an especially slick feature is the split flaps like the ones on a Cessna 310, which work to increase lift without producing drag. Plus there’s the external power connection next to the battery, the anodized aluminum skins with 98% backed rivets for long wear, seven inspection doors, all hinged, with right and left hand throttles and pairs of fully redundant disk brakes on the mains, like an Italian motorcycle. When we went to stick the tank, there’s only one, so nice, the filler cap ingeniously has an attached fuel level connected, no hassle involved.
In case you’re still trying to do the math, like I was, a Sport Pilot Rating requires just 15 hours of dual instruction and five hours of solo flight and no medical. But allows you to fly only a light sport aircraft, no night flights and VFR weather. Light Sport Aircraft = basically an aircraft that is lightweight , doesn’t go very fast (about 120 knots) and has 1 or 2 seats. So word on the bench is if you don’t have the confidence to get your next medical, switch to an LSA and you’re legal, as long as you stay within the rules in FAR Part 61 Subpart J.
If you are looking for a chance to fly a twin or add a multi engine rating, they’ve got a Piper Seneca PA34-200 T, that T stands for turbo, for just $208 an hour. It has a Garmin GNS 430 and counter rotating propellers, which seriously ups the cool factor. The club has nearly 200 members, seven beautiful aircraft for rent and several members who are CFI’s so you can earn your sport pilot, private, commercial, instrument, multi and Flight Instructor ratings through the club as well.
Foothill Flying Club is associated with Foothill Sales and Service, an FAA certified repair station where you can find Factory Authorized service for Cessna, Mooney, Cirrus, Gobosh, Remos, American Legend, American Champion as well as services available for just about anything else that flys.
You can find Foothill Flying Club and Tony Settember at foothillflyingclub.com o. r call them at 909-917-5851. They are located at 1749 W. 14th Street in Upland if you’re a ground-based traveler, by air they are at Cable Airport, KCCB in Upland
Flight Lines Newspaper's Blog 