I had a M3X with a Jabaru and loved it! Flew it for 9 years and put almost 400 hits on it. Only reason I sold it was for money to have my O-320-E2D overhaul on my Skyhawk.🇺🇸👍🙋‍♂️🖖🏻

Does he want to cell it.

@@tb40ford let me help you understand since you are so obtuse. Having a plane that you can fly out of a gigantic parking lot is the same as flying from an airport. Most people don't have a ready access like a large farm or an empty street in a middle of a dessert. For most people, owning a foldable wing airplane means they must trailer their airplane to an airport and fly from an airport. The amount of work it takes just so you can fly for 1hour is why most ultralight airplanes stay grounded for years.

@@2Phast4Rocket Yes good points. I was with Kolb from 1998 through 2016. I really enjoyed the fine folks that loved Homers design My biggest customer base was retired military guys that were up in years and wanted to continue flying. What wonderful people a lot of Vietnam pilots like John Hauck would fly these little airplanes everywhere. They would fly a few hours each day and find a strip to land and spend the night. I always admired them I think it would be a lot of fun Anyway, I hope the Kolb design goes on forever I miss the people, but I do not miss the business end of it because not much profit Travis

@@2Phast4Rocket Where I live in Phoenix hanger rental is 5-10 years of waiting, and monthly price is more than $400 now even with city owned hangers. Even tie downs are now on a waiting list 1-3 years. People who don't fly anymore sublease their hanger to others make money off it even though city doesn't allow it they get around that by claiming the person using it is a friend. Lot of hangers have junk planes in them people haven't flown them for years because can't get a hanger they keep the hanger they say maybe start flying again. Not much choice if you want to fly have to use a trailer and fold the wings or drive 2 hours away to a remote airport. I suppose if your lazy and can't take 30 minutes to fold wings should find another hobby.

I hear that but is it just because don't like being bounced around, or will the structure fail winds?

@@kell4907 The structure will not fail Homers design will handle any wind you could ever encounter An old proven design. Travis

Same! I was like, "there's no way Rotax is out-of-business"! Thanks for double-checking.

Yes great price, great performance, simplicity and folding wings… Although a couple years ago I paged through every NTSB accident report, the results were pretty chilling…. Unlike some other ultralights where there were x accidents of which a percent would be fatal, the majority of the Kolb accidents are fatal…. must be due to the relative positions of the pilot and engine….

@@PRH123 I haven't seen what you have and I'm curious. I've been in a couple of "pilot error" situations, and the Firestar saved my hide both times. Once I had it standing on it's nose, tail straight up in the air. Lucky for me, it didn't go on over. That steel cockpit isn't featured in most ultralights. A new fiberglass nose, and she's good as new.

If you get any answers please let me know. I have the same problem.

@@garyoverholser2351 Tanks Gary, at the moment, it seems like the Aerolite 103 is one of the few options.

Why would owning a mark 3 or 103 make any difference? Did you get denied a medical?

lose the weight bro, or you wont enjoy your money for very long.

@@kell4907 Well, before I had heart failure, I fully intended to build a MKIII however, I had 4 strokes and 4 hospitalizations and it's not clear what the future is. I have had a medical for about 30 years and have not applied for a new one since the onset of health issues. It seems likely to me that I will not be able to get a medical going forward but who knows. For this reason, I have been trying to figure out what Ultralight might work for me. Useful load is key.

Not very confidence inspiring for sure.

I agree....

Yea what a doof!!

Right! Nice guy but not educated or prepared to answer simple questions about the company.

Yep, Rotax Rick in Florida.

The MIII series has hardly any profit I am sure. When I was there we would offer the MIII series in limited runs. I’m sure they will launch a full line of MIII kits when the catch up spell is down The MIII is a well thought of trainer that is cherished around the world Travis Travis

@@tb40ford Thanks for the reply. They need to make it profitable. It is a hot seller.

@@michaelspunich7273 Agreed. Years back we done a time study on producing a MIII kit and everybody in the shop was in fear of loosing their job. Even the management. I can’t even fathom what it would cost today to produce one of those kits. Unfortunately, Homers design uses the most expensive materials, steel and aluminum. You cannot sacrifice quality over lower cost. They have to be manufactured the way Homer Kolb design them to be the best and Kolb is the best. I was with the company from 98 until 2015 and I cannot tell you the engineer type X military high rank followed homers design hundreds and hundreds of them come to me for kits I really enjoyed it. I miss the people the customers, but I sure don’t miss the business end

These are common Aircraft enthusiast not trying to make $1 trillion impression on anybody. They remind me so much of Homer Kolb I work for Homer Kolb for many years. I’m going to try to explain something to you kolb is more of a service making peoples dreams come true than they are at making profits. There has never been much profit in these kits. It’s just like the best design in the world always I always got so sick of people saying why don’t you do this why don’t you do that it’s about the enjoyment more than profit these guys are trying to keep the best design alive that’s all Homer drove a truck for UPS. He offered the kits as a kind pleasureful enjoyable hobby for aviation enthusiast You must have other income and treat this business as a fun venture. You make a little you lose a little, but you enjoy the journey Travis

Kolbs biggest selling tool is their customers flying them. While with Homer at Kolb our customers sold more than we could produce usually. Someone would see one at an airport airfield . Monday they would be calling me happened nearly every week. Travis

You got that right? People think Kolb is in it for profit, Kolb is in it for the love of Homer Kolbs design and keeping it alive Forever. I was on the team for 20 years. Figured out very quickly. Homer had the best design ever introduced. Travis

If you're trying to sell somebody a product the least you could do is have a good attitude. It's very off putting

Nice! (That would be DAN Johnson by the way).And he is retiring soon. Thanks for your support. See you NEXT TIME! :-)

@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel I thought the questions were great and you are welcome to come fly my Firestar anytime. We just missed each other at a North Georgia fly in a few years back.

Richard is your name... how appropriate!

@@michaelspunich7273 LOL

Experimental Aircraft Channel works for me. Dan Johnson is a legacy legend but things change with time.

The website is terrible, right out of the 1990s. Will hopefully be refreshed by the new ownership.

Agree with that !!!

I see a man who wasn’t expecting a media interview and probably has no experience with a mic and camera in his face. I’ve been there. It’s not as easy as the pro’s make it look. His heart is in the right place and that’s what matters to me.

@@ryanschnitzler7771Yes Sir Homer Kolb was a simple extremely hard working man whom simply designed the strongest lite aircraft ever made. I was on the team for 20+ years many of my customers were structural design, engineers, and ex-military type they know what the Kolb is Travis

He just has a Deep South accent. Does not mean he’s ignorant. But I get it, people think people with thick accents : Southern or Northern, even Canadian- are a little slow. Not true.

Life is like a box of chocolates....

He sounds to me like a very smart guy who put his money up and knows exactly what he's doing in every aspect of the business. That's way more important than superficial personality fluff stuff, that so often comes at the expense of real competency and substance.

Definitely sounds like forest gump and definitely is off putting

Thank you. If people could understand what the Kolb design is all about. Homer was a simple man with the strongest lite aircraft ever made Homer would never get offended from anyone talking down the image. He knew his design was well thought of. Travis

The people complaining are mostly clueless. That guy knows more than they ever will.

No one cares about the way he talks. We care about his attitude and it's very off putting if the majority of the comments are saying that then you must be wrong

I don’t know why I’m here wasting my time replying to these rude humans bashing these guys whom are trying hard to keep Homers design alive I was with Kolb for 20 years and know exactly what goes into producing these kits Every piece is hand built hours and hours are put into building these kits. You guys are worried about how a guy is dressed trying to keep the design out there for the builders and Kolb enthusiast. I’m amazed. My goodness go and get a pos stamped aluminum carbon fiber fuc up that has a representative dressed in a suit spreading BS. I have to apologize for this post in memory of Mr. Homer Kolb I truly apologize and more than likely will come back and delete just had to say it Travis

I'll take solid substance over slick fast-talking fluff any day of the week.

@@122436Joe 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣