Kolb Aircraft, Kolb FireFly, Kolb FireStar, Kolb Mark III Xtra, Kolb Flyer, Light Sport Aircraft Pilot News newsmagazine.

Brian has been responsible for all of the quick build kits, and factory built ultralights that have come out of the factory for the past 15 years. He was also responsible for all of the builder assist programs, where a customer would come down to the factory to complete his kit with their assistance. In fact he moved his business onto the Kolb Factory airfield several years ago to be closer to the factory.

Talking to Brian was actually a lot like talking to the late Holmer Kolb. Brian like Holmer, is a very unassuming, hard working, down to earth individual making the most out of the gifts God has given him. Last year at Airventure Brian wanted to tell me something but just didn't know if he wanted to let a secret out to the world or not. The secret was that he was in the process making a deal to purchase the New Kolb Aircraft Company!

The deal was completed about six months ago, but he has just been working behind the scenes like he has been for over 15 years, doing what he normally would do with the world blind to the fact that he was the new owner. But at Airventure 2010 he decided to come clean and let me in on his little secret.

One of the first major decisions he made after the purchase was to move his commercial aircraft display from the conventional end of the field back to where the roots of his company were founded, the ultralight section Down on the Farm at Airventure.

At the current time Kolb Aircraft is offering four aircraft designs to the flying public, but have three other designs that could be made available again if interest warrants. The first currently available aircraft is the part 103 legal ultralight the Kolb FireFly. The FireFly is a great little performer, and even equipped with a Rotax 447 engine, floats and a folding wings is still a legal ultralight in the U.S.!

Then there is the FireStar II which at 310 lbs falls into the experimental amateur built category. It can comfortably carry a second person in the rear jump seat, but does not have any rear pilot controls. It can be powered by a number of engines starting with the Rotax 503. It has a building time like most of the Kolb line of aircraft, in a quick build kit of between 150 and 200 hours, and also has a folding wing for ease of storage.

The third aircraft Kolb is offering is the Mark III Xtra. It is a side by side seating two place with dual rudder pedals and throttles, with a center mounted stick and flaps. Power can be supplied by a variety of engines including the Rotax 582, Rotax 912 series, Jabiru 80 and 100 HP engines, as well as a number of VW aircraft engine conversions. Build times in raw kit form are 350 to 400 hours with the quick build cutting the this time in half.

The fourth aircraft is the Kolb Flyer an all composite aircraft, which comes ready to fly and is certified in the LSA category. The Kob Flyer is built in Brazil and imported into the U.S.

Three other aircraft that are still available are the Kolb Mark III which is ideally suited to the Rotax 582 power plant, which is lighter in construction, and more economical to build, and the Kolbra a tandem seating two place with dual controls. Finally you have the single place Slingshot that can be powered with engines starting at the Rotax 503 on up to the 912 series.

If you are a regular reader of Ultralight Flying you have probably read one of the many stories of the adventures of pilots that have piloted Kolb Aircraft all over the U.S. and Canada. Including John Hauck and Rick Trader.