The Gamebird is revolutionary, which is saying a lot in a segment that has been refined over decades. The designer is brilliant and the factory has very strong financial backup. Revolutionary? Think of it as combining the unlimited competition aerobatic performance of an Extra 3XX series with the cross-country mission profile of an F1 Rocket or Glasair III all the while providing a pleasant and comfortable experience for the GIB or spouse in the second seat. How can you tell it hit on all marks? Because Walter Extra has come out with a similar design to try to get some of the market back. Used Extras have become a thing on the used market. As a back story the designer of the Gamebird used to work with Walter and tried fruitlessly to get Extra to build something like the Gamebird and eventually left to do it on his own. There is a very large backlog and the factory in Arkansas is new, shiny and refined. It takes more than money to buy one. If you want one for yourself you must be interviewed and take a flight review with the designer himself in a factory demo aircraft and prove your pilot skills. The overwhelming demand has put them in the enviable position to do this. It's a unique concept in the aviation marketing, and more important liability, where a potential buyer is vetted prior to purchase to weed out those with more money than capability. Yet another example of the designer breaking paradigms. Until they hit the used market I doubt you will find any affluent professional sports figures flying a Gamebird into the Gulf of Mexico (Icon A5) or hitting buildings in New York City (Cirrus SR20). I bet Han Solo would pass the test fine as long as he lands on the runway and not on the taxiway.
