Beware The Jabberwocky

“Beware the Jabberwocky, my son,†warned Lewis Carroll. I have never even met a jabberwocky, much less had to beware one, but recently met a Jabiru, and saw nothing to beware. I know not what a Jabberwocky is, but a Jabiru is an Australian light sport aircraft (LSA), and a pretty one. When friend Julian asked if I wanted to go see a Jabiru airplane, I told him I’d heard of Jabiru engines, but not Jabiru aircraft. The engines were available in the USA before the airplanes, so for once my ignorance had some basis in fact. Jabiru says that 80% of flight training in Australia is done in Jabirus. The model we saw was the 250, which started life as a four-place airplane and was later turned into a LSA. It has a huge baggage compartment where the two rear seats used to be, a six-cylinder engine of 120 horsepower and one of those absolutely beautiful fuselages made possible by manufacturing with composites. The aircraft I saw is owned by Advanced Flight Training, Tri-Cities Airport, Tennessee (TRI). They say it is already flying “a few†hours per day. Sales and services for the Jabiru in this country are at Shelbyville, TN. Next time I get over that way I plan to stop by. We’d love to post your comments. Please click the comment tab at the top.