Overview:

A comprehensive flight review from Alaskan seaplane operator/instructor Burke Mees: [Seaplane Pilots Association's "Water Flying Magazine"]

Read what the independent flight reviews are saying:

"AOPA Pilot" magazine, October 2004. 331 Kb PDF file.
Reprinted with permission from the October 2004 issue of AOPA Pilot. Copyright 2004, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

"The Transponder", a publication of the Alaska Airmen's Association, September-October 2004 issue.

"Today's Pilot" magazine, Key Publishing, UK, August 2004

7 June 2004. New movie of flights in Texas. See the "Be-103 at Lake Texoma" on the video page, or click here.

28 May 2004. "Vostok Media" reported that Knaapo will deliver 20 Be-103 to China. According to the article, Knaapo signed a contract worth close to 20 million dollars to deliver 20 Be-103 aircraft to China. Airplanes are to be delivered within 2004-2005. The price for each aircraft is slightly less than 1 million dollars after a negotiated bulk discount that the Chinese requested. Currently both sides are working on the details of the contract before signing the agreement.

23 February 2004. Here are some numbers for our demonstrator aircraft [s/n 3301]:

1. Total time [tachometer] 154 hrs;
2. 368 water landings;
3. 48 grass landings;
4. 183 hard surface land landings.

20 January 2004. New photos added.

24 December 2003. Our demonstrator aircraft now has factory installed dual controls and will soon be heading on a tour of the southern US. Please contact us to arrange a demonstration flight. The other aircraft are nearing completion of the factory installation.

12 December 2003. KnAAPO's technical factory support team is at Sky Manor Airport, finishing up installation of the second set of flight controls in each aircraft. Upon completion, one of the aircraft will begin an extended demonstration tour with scheduled stops along the east coast, through Florida, and along the Gulf Coast to Texas. Please contact us to see about getting on our schedule. With dual controls, we can finally do customer demonstration flights and start training those who have already placed orders. The demonstrator aircraft has now accumulated over 75 hours of operation, including over 200 water landings. No major problems or maintenance issues have been encountered. In October 2003, the aircraft made brief unscheduled appearances at the Cedar Mills Seaplane Fly In at Lake Texoma in North Texas, and Wings Over Georgia air show.

31 July 2003. FAA type certificate awarded at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh. The press release.

20 July 2003. Arrival at Oshkosh. Booth #50 and at the Seaplane Base.

25 March 2003. FAA officials from the Small Aircraft Registry were in Taganrog Russia in late March. Early reports claim the flight tests are going well. The FAA pilot was satisfied with the Be-103's flight performance, and pointed out the especially good aircraft behavior in the approach-to-stall region. The single engine performance was found to be "superior to many modern twins." The FAA official said that one and a half hours would be sufficient to become completely familiar with the aircraft.

24 December 2002. A contingent of Russian aviation technical specialists from Beriev, KnAAPO and the Russian State Register of Aircraft completed a week of meetings with the FAA to work on maintenance and flight manuals as part of the FAA Airworthiness Certificate. Representatives of the FAA are planning to travel to Russia in March of 2003 to complete US certification.

18 November 2002. We added some new photos!

14 November 2002. Two Asian nations have expressed interest in obtaining several Be-103s for use as light maritime patrol aircraft. Feasibility studies are underway to determine how these aircraft might be used in several roles.

11 November 2002. US certification efforts continue. With nearly all tests complete, Beriev expects to be issued a US type certificate by March 2003. Production has begun on the first three aircraft scheduled for delivery to the US in March 2003.

Beriev has just obtained certification for a seaplane training school to be run from their facilities in Taganrog. Plans are for the school to use Be-12, Be-200 and possibly the Be-103 for training aircraft. The school will be opened to licensed pilots and we hope that we will be able to send owners there who want to obtain their check out and type rating directly from the design bureau.

Beriev has signed an agreement naming Kent Linn, of Sky Manor Airport in Pittstown NJ, as exclusive North American distributor for Beriev Be-103.
The agreement was signed in September at the Gelendzhik 2000 Hydroaviation Salon. Mr Linn is looking into several shipping and assembly options including installing US made engines and avionics and German propellor at Sky Manor's facilities in New Jersey.

The US certification process for the Be-103 was started in March with a meeting between the FAA Small Aircraft Certification Directorate, Kent Linn of Sky Manor Airport, Beriev Aircraft Company, and the Russian Register for Aircraft Certification. By complying with the Russian standards, which mirror FAR Part 23 the aircraft meets most US requirements. Russian certification should be complete in 2001 and US certification should be completed sometime in 2002.

On 26 December, 2001, the Beriev Be-103 received Russian type certification for VFR flights. Beriev is now working toward Russian IFR certification and has started the FAA certification process.

Russian State Forest Service is considering buying 6 B-103 aircraft fitted with small water tank for firefighting and patrol activities. Engines will be Vankel type (made by VAZ, Russia).