Dan Evaluating Another Aircraft

DAN JOHNSON has has made a career of reviewing all manner of recreational aircraft from hang gliders to Light-Sport Aircraft. His work has resulted in hundreds of detailed pilot reports and thousands of magazine or online articles.

A 6,000-hour Commercial, Instrument, Multiengine Pilot and former Certified Flight Instructor, Dan’s focus today is on Light-Sport Aircraft, ultralight aircraft, and homebuilt aircraft that Sport Pilots may fly.

His present-day focus followed many years in the hang gliding industry, running a hang glider manufacturing operation, operating a hang gliding school in two states, providing a flight resort giving mountaintop launch access via a cable-car tram, and publishing what he called “hang gliding’s other magazine.”

Dan has flown and evaluated nearly 400 aircraft. Beside publishing articles in numerous aviation magazines he has performed on more than 500 videos with all this material available on ByDanJohnson.com, his website in operation since 2004. Two books plus two calendars have featured his flight reports and he is a frequent speaker at airshows and aviation gatherings.

Promoting aviation over several decades, Dan works in a volunteer role as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors for LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association. LAMA advocates on behalf of the light aircraft industry, working with government agencies and aviation’s largest member organizations.

Dan served the U.S. Hang Gliding Association (now USHPA) as a board director for 20 years. He served for six years as Membership Secretary and remains today on the Light-Sport F.37 Executive Committee for ASTM International. (ASTM prepares the standards used to gain approval for Light-Sport Aircraft.)

Honored by the LSA industry, Dan was given the Society of Experimental Test Pilots’ Spirit of Flight Award; ASTM’s Outstanding Leadership Award; LAMA’s Outstanding Individual Award; and the USUA’s Moody Award.