Is the Van's RV-12iS a Light Sport Aircraft?

Yes — the factory RV-12iS SLSA is certificated as a Special Light Sport Aircraft under ASTM F2245 consensus standards with a fixed 1,320 lb maximum take-off weight. The kit-build E-LSA variant is also flown under Light Sport privileges, with the builder assembling the airframe under the FAA experimental-amateur-built rules. Sport-pilot privileges apply on both.

What engine does the RV-12iS use?

The factory RV-12iS SLSA ships with the fuel-injected Rotax 912 iS Sport at 100 hp; the kit version permits the older carbureted Rotax 912 ULS as an alternative. Both engines are mogas-capable (EN228 unleaded automotive fuel) and 100LL-capable, but mogas is the recommended fuel where available, with cruise burn around 4 gph.

Can the RV-12iS be used for IFR training?

Yes, within the limits of S-LSA operations. The factory-build configuration ships with dual Garmin G3X Touch EFIS as standard and supports an optional Garmin GTN 650 IFR navigator. With the GTN 650 installed, the airframe is used for instrument-rating training at some US sport-pilot schools, though IFR-on-LSA operations require care around the broader Light Sport regulatory envelope.

Who builds the Van's RV-12iS?

Van's Aircraft has built the SLSA configuration in-house at their Aurora, Oregon factory since August 2018, when the company took SLSA production back from Synergy Air. Each factory-build airframe is assembled and flight-tested at Van's facility before delivery. The kit (E-LSA) version continues to be available for builders who want to complete the airframe themselves.

Which flight schools fly the RV-12iS?

Van's Aircraft maintains a public flight-schools page listing operators of the RV-12iS SLSA. Documented US sport-pilot school operators include Chesapeake Sport Pilot in Maryland and Sebring Aviation in Florida. The fleet has grown steadily through the 2020s with the factory-build configuration; school adoption tracks the broader US sport-pilot training market.

Van's Aircraft

RV-12iS

Light sport aircraft (LSA) · LSA trainer · 2010s onward — modern

Photo: Aeroprints.com via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Power: 100 hp
Cruise: 114 kt
MTOW: 1,320 lb
Range: 530 nm
Fuel: Unleaded mogas (EN228 / autofuel)

🇺🇸Specs shown in Imperial.

Performance

Cruise speed (Vc)114 kt
Never-exceed speed (Vne)137 kt
Stall (landing config) (Vs0)40 kt
Climb rate900 fpm
Service ceiling16,500 ft
Range530 nm
Endurance5 h
Takeoff roll600 ft
Landing roll500 ft

Weights

MTOW1,320 lb
Empty weight775 lb
Useful load545 lb
Baggage capacity50 lb

Dimensions

Wingspan26.8 ft
Length19.9 ft
Height6.8 ft
Cabin width43 in

Powerplant

EngineRotax 912 iS Sport — 100 hp · Mogas · 4 gph
Total horsepower100 hp
Primary fuelUnleaded mogas (EN228 / autofuel)
Unleaded pathMogas-capable (Rotax 912 / equivalent)

Cockpit & avionics

Cockpit typeglass
Autopilot commonly availableYes
Typical packages
- Dual Garmin G3X Touch EFIS— current SLSA factory standard
- Garmin GTN 650 IFR navigator (optional)— current factory option for IFR training
Training note
Factory RV-12iS SLSA ships with dual Garmin G3X Touch EFIS as standard, which meets the FAR 61.129 Technically Advanced Aircraft definition for some commercial training scenarios. Schools that order the optional Garmin GTN 650 navigator can use the airframe for instrument-rating training within the limits of S-LSA operations.

Certification

RegulatoryASTM F2245 consensus standards · FAA S-LSA (factory) / E-LSA (kit)
Certified rolesSpecial Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA, factory) · Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (E-LSA, kit) · Day VFR; IFR with optional Garmin GTN 650 navigator install
IFRYes
Spin approvedNo
Aerobatic-categoryNo
TailwheelNo
Complex (FAR 61.31)No
High-performance (FAR 61.31)No

Why is the RV-12iS popular?

Structured popularity-driver evidence. Each axis below carries one factual statement; we don't grade, the facts speak.

Fuel future-proofing

Rotax 912 iS Sport is mogas-capable (EN228 premium unleaded automotive fuel) and 100LL-capable, with mogas being the recommended fuel where available. The type sits outside the FAA EAGLE / California UNL94 leaded-fuel transition exposure that constrains the legacy 100LL fleet.

Operating economics

Rotax 912 iS Sport burns roughly 4 gph of mogas at typical cruise — among the lowest fuel burn rates in the LSA training fleet. Combined with the lower per-gallon cost of mogas versus 100LL, the operating-cost profile materially undercuts the legacy 100LL training fleet.

Regulatory fit

Factory-built RV-12iS is a Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) under ASTM F2245 consensus standards with a fixed 1,320 lb MTOW. Sport-pilot privileges apply; private-pilot operations require the higher certificate but the airframe operates under the same envelope. With dual EFIS the aircraft also meets the FAR 61.129 Technically Advanced Aircraft definition for some commercial training scenarios.

Industry network effects

Van's Aircraft maintains a flight-schools page listing operators of the RV-12iS SLSA. The factory-build configuration since 2018 (previously assembled by Synergy Air) supports growing sport-pilot school adoption at operators including Chesapeake Sport Pilot, CHI Aerospace, and Sebring Aviation.

Before you buy more aircraft

The next airframe is rarely the highest-leverage move.

Flight school revenue is a function of three things — utilisation, dispatch reliability, and student progression — that multiply rather than add. Most schools running below 850 hours per aircraft per year have hidden capacity worth more than the next purchase, already paid for and sitting on the ramp.

Read: Why buying more aircraft probably won't grow your school

Operations

Record hours, no profit

Where margin actually leaks when the schedule looks full.

Strategy

The three hurdles to profitability

The structural barriers most expansion plans miss.

How flight schools track this aircraft in Aviatize

Schools operating the RV-12iS configure it in Aviatize as a single-airframe LSA resource with the Rotax 912 iS Sport modelled as a child component for TBO and overhaul-reserve tracking against the Rotax maintenance schedule (note that Rotax TBO is in calendar / hour terms different from the standard Lycoming / Continental 2,000-hour planning horizon). Fuel is mogas where available; the rental rate should reflect the mogas cost basis. Sport-pilot privileges should be reflected in the pilot-currency validation rules.

schedulingaircraft maintenancetraining managementbilling

Editorial confidence

High confidenceLast reviewed 2026-05-26

Configuration, certification path, and engine reference well-attributed to Van's Aircraft manufacturer pages. Operator list drawn directly from Van's published flight-schools reference rather than inferred. Specific cruise / fuel-burn figures are POH-typical bands.

Sources

Primary sources are POH / TCDS / manufacturer pages; derived sources record where Aviatize editorial synthesis is layered on top.

Primary sourceManufacturer brief·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Van's Aircraft
https://www.vansaircraft.com/rv-12is-slsa/
Van's Aircraft RV-12iS SLSA product page — current factory reference for the SLSA configuration.
Primary sourceManufacturer brief·Retrieved 2026-05-26
Van's Aircraft
https://www.vansaircraft.com/rv-12is-slsa/flight-schools/
Van's Aircraft list of flight schools operating the RV-12iS. Verified on this page on 2026-05-26 that the page lists CHI Aerospace (Portsmouth, NH), Chesapeake Sport Pilot, and Sebring Aviation as flight-school operators of the type. Operator references in this entry are drawn directly from this page.
Primary sourceManufacturer brief·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Van's Aircraft
https://www.vansaircraft.com/rv-12is-slsa-trainer/
Van's Aircraft RV-12iS trainer-focused product page; POH download is available via Van's customer service.
Secondary sourceAviatize-internal·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van%27s_Aircraft_RV-12
Wikipedia article aggregating the RV-12 development history, kit / SLSA configuration timeline, and operational context.
Editorial synthesisAviatize-internal·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Aviatize editorial
Entry authored by Aviatize from accumulated industry knowledge cross-referenced against the primary sources cited above. Operator list drawn from Van's Aircraft's published flight-schools reference.

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