Is Sling Aircraft Certified?

If you possess or are about to purchase a Sling aircraft, you need to know if and how Sling Aircraft is certified.

Operating an aircraft without a certificate can lead to suspension/revocation of your license or fines. As a result, you may be forced to hire an expensive aviation attorney.

Sling Aircraft is not directly certified by the FAA. They possess Type Acceptance Certificate for Class I and Export Certificate of Airworthiness issued by the SACAA for any of their aircraft. These certificates allow the sling airplanes to be imported into the United States.

Sling Aircraft, also known as the Airplane Factory, is a registered proprietary company under the law of South African Companies and Intellectual Property Companies (CIPC). However, a Bilateral Agreement exists between South Africa and the United States.

The SACAA Export Airworthiness Certificate ensures that the imported sling aircraft complies with US-type certification and is in safe operating condition. This certificate does not imply that the aircraft can legally operate in the United States. A registered U.S. owner still needs to obtain a certificate if they are to operate these aircraft legally. Let’s review whether these Sling Aircraft models are certified.

‍Who are Sling Aircraft?

Mike Blyth, James Pitman, and Andrew Pitman own Sling Aircraft/Airplane Factory. Mike Blyth is the company's Director, James Pitman is the Chairman and Andrew Pitman is the Managing Director.

Before the invention of Sling Aircraft, Mike Blyth was a well-known person in the aviation world. He was named the Microlight World Champion in 1995 after using a prototype trike to fly for 4 hours.

When he was a Rotax engine dealer in South Africa in 2005, he had the idea for his dream airplane. He later collaborated with the other industry experts to build the first sample.

James Pitman is a law and science graduate of the University of Cape Town. He was, nevertheless, an adventurer who had accomplished various mountaineering challenges in South African adventure societies.

As an adventurer, he joined Mike Blyth on a flying and rock-climbing expedition around southern Africa. Following this journey, the exciting notion of embarking on an around-the-world voyage came to fruition.

Andrew Pitman studied International Business Management and Marketing at Cape Town Varsity College. He enjoys both traveling and doing business. He currently supervises the majority of the company's sales, marketing, and financial operations, having previously worked as an Account Executive and Account Manager in the U.K.

Are Sling Aircraft Models Certified?

Sling aircraft, including the Sling LSA, Sling 2, Sling 4, and Sling HW, have all received certification. A Special Airworthiness Certificate is required to fly the Sling LSA.

The Sling 2 is operated with a certificate classifying it as an experimental light-sport aircraft (E-LSA) or an experimental-amateur-built aircraft (E-AB). The Sling 4 is also operated with a certificate classifying it as an experimental-amateur-built aircraft.

When a registered owner obtains an authorization, or document, from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), sling aircraft can be flown legally.

The airworthiness certificate is the name given to this document. The form 8130-7 provided by the FAA allows an aircraft to operate in US airspace for non-commercial activities.

These aircraft are divided into categories. According to 14 CFR 21, sling LSA belongs to the light sport category. Furthermore,the  Sling 2 and Sling 4 are classified as experimental under 14 CFR 21.

The procedural certification of an aircraft is covered in the section below.

How is an Airplane Certified?

According to 14 CFR 183, the Federal Aviation Administration's Aviation Safety Inspectors and approved Representatives of the Administrator are legally authorized to issue an airworthiness certificate.

The proposed designs of the aircraft and the designing methods are reviewed. This helps to determine whether these designs and methods comply with the standards set by the FAA.

Additionally, specific ground and flight tests must have been performed to demonstrate that the aircraft meets these standards. Before putting the aircraft into service, it is evaluated to ensure that the essential maintenance and operational suitability are in place.

No organization is permitted to self-certify an aircraft, and an airworthiness certificate can be revoked by the FAA regardless of the aircraft's category. This occurs when the aircraft fails to satisfy its certified design specifications again or is ruled unfit for flight.

Sling Aircraft have been around since 2008. Some of these designs have ranged from the Sling 2, which first flew in 2008, to the Sling HW, which was designed and manufactured in 2020. Let’s take a review of the various sling airplanes as well as their individual characteristics.

Different Sling Aircraft Models

Sling LSA

Sling LSA is a two-seater aircraft designed to comply with the FAA’s definition of Light Sport Aircraft. It is categorized and certified as a light sport aircraft and is flown with a Special certificate of airworthiness.

It has excellent handling and sturdy landing gear and this makes it easy to operate.

The Rotax 912 engine drives the Sling LSA, and is also available as a 912 ULS or 912 iS. The Rotax 912 iS, on the other hand, performs better than the Rotax 4-stroke engine family with lower fuel consumption due to its electronic-nature fuel injection and the management system of the engine.

This aircraft comes with a Warp Drive 3 Blade ground, which is an adjustable propeller that helps defend against stones and damages incurred by extended Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight inside rain and hail.

Sling 2

The inside and exterior of the Sling 2 are similar to those of the Sling LSA. The Sling 2 is a two-seater plane, hence the generic name. Its maximum gross weight is 1,540 lbs.

The Rotax 912/914 engine, which is available as a 912 ULS or 912 iS, also powers the Sling 2. Meanwhile, the 115hp turbocharged Rotax 914 UL delivers better high-altitude performance while being lighter.

When powered by the Rotax 912 ULS/iS, the Sling 2 comes with an adjustable Warp Drive 3 Blade Ground  propeller.

When powered by the Rotax 914 UL, this design is outfitted with an Airmaster 3 Blade Consistent Speed propeller, which aids in maintaining a constant spinning speed.

Sling 4

The Sling 4 is a four-seater aircraft, therefore the generic name. The Sling 4 model stands out as an upgrade to the Sling 2 with different wing sizes, different engine types as well as variation in the layouts of their center fuselage.

The Sling 4 is equipped with a 115 horsepower turbocharged Rotax 914 UL engine.

The Sling 4 has improved features compared to the Sling 2. These features include more length, a more powerful engine (Rotax 914 UL), and up-door instead of a sliding canopy at the top.

Sling 4 has a maximum gross weight of 2,024 lbs. It has an Airmaster 3 Blade Constant Speed propeller which is ideal for modern engines, especially the turbo-charged ones.

Sling TSi

This is a four-seater, low-cost aircraft suited for cross-country flights.

The Sling TSi is built with similar aerodynamic qualities to the Sling LSA, with its controls being so quick and not too sensitive.

It has a maximum gross weight of 2,095 pounds and is built with the same quality inside and out as other Sling airplanes. It is powered by a 141 hp turbocharged Rotax 915 iS engine.

The Rotax 915 iS engine follows the technological footsteps of the 912/914 family with additional horsepower, better performance and best-in-class power-to-weight ratio, 18,000 feet maximum usable altitude as well as 16,000 feet MTO thrust.

This design is also outfitted with the Airmaster 3 Blade propeller with Constant Speed.

Sling HW

Sling High Wing is another term for this design, hence the generic name Sling HW. This aircraft features modern design safety systems such as a ballistic parachute recovery system, a little effort Garmin glass cockpit and a 141 hp Rotax 915 iS turbocharged engine part.

It is a high-performance aircraft that can travel great distances at 145 knots, delivering you and your family to your favorite distant location.

Who Are Sling Aircraft?

Mike Blyth, James Pitman, and Andrew Pitman own Sling Aircraft (Pty) Ltd. Mike Blyth is the company's Director, while James Pitman is the Chairman and Andrew Pitman is the Managing Director.

Before the invention of the sling, Mike Blyth was a well-known person in the aviation world. He won the Microlight World Championships in 1995 using a prototype trike with only 4 hours of flight time.

When he was a Rotax engine dealer in South Africa in 2005, he had the idea for his dream airplane. He collaborated with the other experts to create a prototype.

James Pitman is a law and science graduate of the University of Cape Town. He was, nevertheless, an adventurer who had accomplished various mountaineering challenges in South African adventure societies.

As an adventurer, he joined Mike Blyth on a flying and rock-climbing expedition around southern Africa. Following this journey, the exciting notion of embarking on an around-the-world voyage came to fruition.

Andrew Pitman studied International Business Management and Marketing at Cape Town Varsity College. He enjoys both traveling and doing business. He currently supervises the majority of the company's sales, marketing, and financial operations, having previously worked as an Account Executive and Account Manager in the United Kingdom.