Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: plane

This Airlony Skylane UL, another plane classified as a microlight under Czech regulations, is also operated by Franair, hence the livery. Based aerodynamically on the Cessna Skylane, although only loosely, it is scaled down, and powered by a 100-horsepower Rotax 912 engine (similar to the Zephyr, although Franair's Zephyr only has an 80-horsepower Rotax) rather than the 235-horsepower Lycoming 0-540-J3C5D used in the original Cessna. This makes it smaller than any plane currently made by Cessna other than the Skycatcher, which it can still outperform. It is also far cheaper, although it is a higher-end aircraft than the Atec Zephyr.

This is an Atec Zephyr 2002LS microlight, which is actually Czech made. Microlight planes are fairly popular in the Czech Republic due to their relatively low cost (comparable to a car), and greater capability than a traditional ultralight. In fact, some of them rival lower-end light transports in certain aspects of their performance. Microlights are a legal category used for some planes classified as ultralights in some countries, but not in others (the term "microlight" is used in several jurisdictions). This means that they are heavier than ultralights but lighter than light transports, with some characteristics of both. Many could almost be flown IFR, but generally microlights are only legal for VFR. Therefore, it is common to fly them VFR at under 4,000 feet, at speeds under about 115 m.p.h. or so, compared to about the same speed for a single-engine light transport, and half that speed for a traditional ultralight (even slower in some jurisdictions). The Atec Zephyr is one of the most popular microlights in the Czech Republic, but there has been talk of discontinuing it in favour of the newer Atec Faeta. When I checked the Atec website today, however, it appeared that the Zephyr was still in production. This Zephyr is operated by Franair, a flight school based in Kladno.

The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was originally a Nazi German spy plane, but remained in production long after the fall of the Nazi regime, with a number of variants and manufacturers. It is often credited with being one of the first purpose-built STOL aircraft, simply because it has enough lift to take off and land in a very short distance, in spite of its conventional design. I don't know the background of this particular aircraft, but I noted that its cockpit appeared to be fully modern. The newest version of the Storch that I found online was this one: www.slepcevstorch.com The Slepcev is only 3/4 the size of the original, which looks close to the size of the aircraft in the photo.

I took a photo of the Aeroplane Bar the last time I was in Olomouc as well, but I couldn't resist trying it again. Unfortunately, unless you only want part of the plane, or some kind of abstraction, this is one of the only angles which works because of the trees blocking the view.