▁A viation ▁Administration ▁special ▁light - s port ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁Oper ational ▁history ▁The ▁F k 9 ▁prototype ▁first ▁fle w ▁early ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁making ▁its ▁first ▁public ▁appearance ▁that ▁April ▁at ▁the ▁A ero ▁trade ▁fair ▁in ▁Friedrich sh afen . ▁ ▁By ▁late ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁before ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁E LA ▁variant , ▁at ▁least ▁ 3 7 0 ▁F k 9 s ▁of ▁all ▁types ▁had ▁been ▁sold . ▁The ▁mid - 2 0 1 0 ▁European ▁registers ▁( ex cluding ▁Russia ) ▁note ▁ 3 8 7 ▁aircraft , ▁including ▁four ▁EL As . ▁Other ▁F k 9 s ▁fly ▁in ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁America , ▁where ▁there ▁are ▁ag encies , ▁as ▁in ▁South ▁Africa . ▁US ▁L SA ▁for ▁k its ▁was ▁given ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁UK ▁mic rol ight ▁weight ▁limits ▁exclude ▁the ▁F k 9 ▁as ▁an ▁assemble d ▁aircraft , ▁but ▁the ▁recent ▁E LA ▁reg ulations ▁are ▁expected ▁to ▁allow ▁that ▁version ▁to ▁be ▁registered . ▁ ▁Rev iewer ▁Mar ino ▁Bor ic ▁described ▁the ▁design ▁in ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁review ▁as ▁" an ▁all - compos ite ▁C ess na ▁ 1 5 0 ▁look ali ke , ▁but ▁with ▁much ▁improved ▁performance ". ▁ ▁Vari ants ▁Information ▁from ▁ ▁F k 9 ▁Mark ▁ 1 Com pos ite ▁wings , ▁metal ▁t ube ▁fus el age . ▁ ▁First ▁production ▁version . ▁Int