Local PiperSport dealer Aerosport Aviation says it'll be business as usual for the Czech-built SportCruiser LSA despite Piper's recent decision to cease marketing the aircraft.
On January 12, almost exactly a year after announcing a licensing agreement with Czech Sport Aircraft (CSA) to market its SportCruiser as the rebadged ‘PiperSport’ as a means of fast-tracking a readymade product to the burgeoning light sport aircraft (LSA) market, Piper announced it was terminating its relationship with CSA due to “differing business philosophies”.
Aerosport Aviation’s Anton Meier, who has an eight-year working relationship with the factory behind the SportCruiser and in that time has sold almost 30 SportCruisers in Australia and New Zealand (including four under the PiperSport name), says Piper’s desire to market the aircraft as a one-size-fits-all, non-customisable product proved futile.
“It’s been a very arduous road for the last 12 months,” Meier explains. “With the differences in business philosophies, progress to get any miniscule change to happen to suit the market has not been possible. Piper wasn’t getting anywhere with the factory, and I wasn’t getting anywhere with Piper. So the whole thing was a stalemate really.”
The CSA-Piper relationship won’t be officially wrapped up until late April, and in that period Meier expects another three PiperSport deliveries to Australian customers before the aircraft officially reverts back to its original SportCruiser name.
While initially having to reassure customers currently holding PiperSport orders that they won’t be affected, Meier believes that, with Piper no longer involved and distributors once again dealing directly with the manufacturer, the future looks bright for the SportCruiser. And Meier stresses that, despite the name changes, the aircraft’s design has remained constant throughout.
“The SportCruiser was a proven aircraft in its own right,” he says. “When Piper became involved, they actually endorsed the aircraft. Unfortunately the politics messed it up for them, but it still leaves the aircraft as it was in the beginning. Going from SportCruiser to PiperSport and back to SportCruiser, not one nut or bolt changed in this aircraft. It stands on its own two feet, no matter what it’s called.”
Meier is closely watching CSA as it moves to expand on the SportCruiser design with the release of aerobatic, high-wing, and military variants later this year.
(John Absolon)
