Van’s Aircraft has thrown a lot of money and energy into the RV-12 line and sees a bright future in the MOSAIC world. Last Sunday, they received the first airworthiness certificate for a “MOSAIC-qualified” RV-12. What makes an RV-12 MOSAIC-qualified? The FAA released the final rules last week, and they include meeting standards in a rollover test, being able to release the seat belt while hanging upside down, and a CO detector—albeit an inexpensive “dot” from your big-box store can check that box. A wing-mounted and heated pitot tube (no longer in the spinner), an alternate B&C alternator, and an interior light strip will move the aircraft toward IFR in IMC readiness. New Tosten grips, a crash hammer, a cargo net capable of containing 9 G acceleration, a parking brake, and more comfortable seats comprise additional changes to Van’s new MOSAIC-qualified RV-12.
Tom Snow now owns the first “MOSAIC-qualified” RV-12, and it is on display in prime territory on Wittman Road just south of the Life Members Pavilion and north of Boeing Plaza in the old Airbus area. This aircraft will join four other RV-12s that Snow leases to Crystal Air flight school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His aircraft joins three other RV-12s brought to AirVenture by three flight schools across the country.
Why the emphasis on building a MOSAIC-qualified RV-12? Van’s is now building about one SLSA RV-12iS aircraft every three days and mostly selling them to flight schools across the country. We talked with Mike Harris of Hawkins Flight Academy in Shelbyville, Tennessee, a flight school that specializes in training future airline pilots. They have nine RV-12iS aircraft that they have used over the last two and a half years for Private through CFII training, and they look forward to adapting at least some of their fleet to “MOSAIC-qualified” status so students can train in instrument meteorological conditions. Harris sums up their preference for training in the RV-12 over the venerable Skyhawk because the former is “sporty, cheaper, fuel-burn rate about one-third the fuel (3.45–3.7 gph in actual training), docile, full glass cockpit (currently Garmin’s dual G3X plus G5), and a beefed up nosewheel.”
Pilotsmith, an Appleton, Wisconsin, flight school, uses three RV-12s for private, commercial, and instrument training using G3X displays and a Garmin GTN 650. They brought an aircraft to the exhibit and are on hand in the display area to talk about their program. In addition to its use in their training, Pilotsmith has found the aircraft to be its most popular rental unit.
The yellow RV-12 seen in photos here belongs to Tom Snow. It’s his first fully-conforming MOSAIC airplane, but his fourth RV-12. The airplane received its airworthiness certificate last Sunday and will be flown from AirVenture by Tom’s son Sam to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it will be on leaseback to Crystal Air Flight School.
