FAA Sport Pilot Released on July 20, 2004.
The rule becomes effective on September 1, 2004 .
Summary:
LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT (LSA)
Ø
The
allowable gross weight is 1,320 pounds. Aircraft operated on water can weigh
1,430 pounds.
Ø
The
stall speed must be not greater than 45 knots (51.8 MPH), max speed: 120 knots
(138 MPH).
Ø
LSA
cannot have an in-flight propeller or retractable gear.
Ø
Seaplanes
can have "repositionable gear."
Ø
An
LSA can have only one engine
Ø
Hang
gliders and foot-launched powered and unpowered paragliders are
specifically
excluded from being LSA, and a Sport
Pilot certificate does not allow a sport pilot to fly a tandem
hang
glider or tandem paraglider.
SPORT PILOTS
Ø
A
sport pilot must be at least 17 years old.
Ø
This
an abbreviated summary of the minimum required flight experience to be a sport
pilot:
o
Airplane: 20 hours total, 75 mile
solo cross country
o
Glider: 10 hours total
o
Gyroplane: 20 hours total, 50 mile
solo cross country
o
Powered
parachute: 12 hours total, 10 mile
solo cross country
o
Weight
shift (trike): 20 hours
total, 50 miles solo cross country
Ø
Additional
instruction and an instructor's logbook endorsement for each new make and model
"set".
Ø
A
sport pilot must have additional training and a logbook endorsement to fly an
LSA with a level flight
speed of more than 87 knots (100
MPH).
Ø
Powered
parachutes are divided into "land" and "sea" classes.
Ø
Pilots
will be allowed to take a practical test (flight test) in a single seat LSA.
The examiner will
observe him from the ground. The
pilot will have a "single-seat" limitation on his certificate.
Ø
Sport
pilots to take a biennial flight review (BFR).
Ø
"Driver's
license medical" except if FAA sent a “denied” letter, then workarounds.
Ø
A
sport pilot may not fly above 10,000 feet MSL.
Ø
No
night flying.
Ø
May
not demonstrate LSA for sale if a
"salesman."
Ø
A
sport pilot may fly in airspace where radio control is required, but only
with
additional training and a logbook endorsement.
LSA MAINTENANCE
Ø
"Preventative maintenance",
allowed by owner on LSA.
Ø
16-hour
maintenance course allows owner to do annual inspections on LSA.
Ø
If
you want to do maintenance-for-hire on the aircraft, you must attend a
maintenance
course of 80 hours for gliders and
lighter-than-air aircraft, 120 hours for airplanes and 104
hours for weight-shift (trikes) and
powered parachutes. Maintenance students must pass
a maintenance knowledge test with a
score of at least 80%.
Ø
An
applicant for an LSA repairman certificate must take a maintenance course for
each class of LSA
Ø
Maintenance
must be performed in accordance with the general aviation standards of FAR Part
43.
Ø
Approval
by the manufacturer for LSA modification, not FAA STC.
Ø
Prospective
LSA examiners who inspect and issue experimental LSA airworthiness
certificates (DPEs) must attend a three-day FAA course.
LSA EQUIPMENT
Ø
Only
two-seat fixed wing LSAs flying more than 50 miles from base must have
an ELT.
Ø
Only
LSA certified with electrical systems will be required to have a
transponder to fly within
Class B and Class C airspace, and the Class B "Mode C veil."
ULTRALIGHT TRAINING
Ø
The
two-seat ultralight Exemption for ultralight training will expire on January
31, 2008 .
Ø
All
"fat" single seat ultralights and all two-seat ultralight trainers
must be converted to
"experimental" LSA by
August 31, 2007
.
Ø
After
an ultralight trainer is converted to an experimental LSA, a Sport Pilot
Instructor may
use the converted experimental LSA as
a Sport Pilot trainer (for compensation) until
September 1, 2009 . Thereafter, not for compensation.
Ø
An
ultralight pilot must register with a national ultralight organization to have
his ultralight f
flight time count toward his sport
pilot license. He must then take his Sport Pilot practical test by
January 31, 2007 to take
advantage of waiver of the three hour requirement.
Ø
Sport
Pilots may train ultralight pilots but not for hire.
PRIVATE PILOT weight shift or powered parachute:
Ø
Powered
parachute: 25 hours total, including 3 hours of night flight, and a 25
mile solo cross country
Ø
Weight-shift:
40 hours total, including 3 hours of night flying with a 75 mile night
cross country, and
a 100 mile solo cross country
Ø
Night
flight requirements may be avoided with “Night Limitation”. (night not required
for Sport Pilot)
Ø
May
demonstrate LSA for sale if a "salesman."
Ø Allowed to tow gliders with qualification.
Ø
18
years of age
Ø
Knowledge
exams on aeronautics and fundamental of instruction
Ø
Practical
test
Ø
Have
a sport pilot certificate or higher rating.
Ø
A
sport pilot instructor may teach private pilot weight-shift or private pilot
powered parachute
if the sport pilot instructor
has at least a private pilot rating himself.
Ø
Required
flight time:
o
Airplane: 150 hours total time, 25
hours of cross country time
o
Glider: 25 hours flight time
o
Gyroplane: 125 hours flight time (at
least 50 hours in a gyroplane) and 10 hours cross country
o
Weight-shift: 150 hours total (50 in
weight-shift,) 25 hours cross country
o
Powered
parachute: 100 hours total (50 in a powered parachute,) 15 hours cross country
Ø
5
hours in the same make and model "set"
Ø
The
sport pilot instructor must renew his instructor's certificate every two years,
just as a general
aviation instructor must do
Ø
An
ultralight instructor must transition to sport pilot instructor by January 31,
2008 if he
wants
credit for his ultralight flight time
Prospective Sport Pilot Examiners must attend a 5-day FAA course.
Deadlines to remember:
Ø
September 1, 2004 Effective date of the Sport Pilot rule.
Deadline to be a BFI in order to
get maximum credit toward SPI.
Ø
August 31, 2005
Deadline for recreational pilots
and higher rated pilots to acquire the necessary flight time to
apply for a category and class
rating limited to a specific make and model of experimental aircraft.
Ø
January 31, 2007
Deadline for an ultralight pilot to
take his sport pilot practical test if he wants his ultralight
flight time to also count toward
the three hours of prep for test.
Ø
August 31, 2007
Last day that an experimental
certificate will be issued to a "fat" ultralight or two-seat trainer.
Ø
January 31, 2008
Ultralight two-seat training
exemption expires. New BFIs allowed
until then, but of ever decreasing value.
Ø
September
1, 2009
Last day to be able to use an ultralight converted to an experimental LSA as a sport pilot trainer for compensation.