Sport Pilot Training Needed in Montgomery, AL (and everywhere else...)

[Frank Giger]

It's a bit far to drive from Montgomery, but Jim McLeod in Pell City was my SP CFI, and a darned good one (he managed to make a safe pilot outta the likes of me!).

As far as the "only one side of aviation" line of thought goes, there's also the "why pay for a seven course meal when all one wants is lunch?" After all, I have a driver's license with a motorcycle endorsement - am I really missing out because I don't have a CDL and can't handle an eighteen-wheeler?

Saying one wouldn't drive at all if they couldn't take a Peterbuilt pulling two bulldozers on a lowboy through the rockies in a blizzard is just as silly as "I wouldn't fly if I couldn't pilot a complex aircraft."

Like everything, it boils down to goals and mission parameters. For myself, that meant simple, light aircraft under obvious VFR conditions for fun. I could pass a physical without a hitch, but when I crunched the numbers for a SPL against a PPL it didn't add up.

Do I really need to go under the hood or fly at night when my certified plane of choice is a Champ and the plane I'm building is a single seat daytime VFR 7/8 scale Nieuport 11 biplane? Considering the cost difference between the two licenses is half (or double, depending on point of view) - and, oddly enough, almost matching the price of my engine - it didn't make sense.

And I'm not restricted by the SPL in the least, considering the aircraft I fly. A "every certification" pilot is going to be just as grounded by weather in a Champ as is a Sport Pilot with a just a tailwheel endorsement. Plus no amount of training is going to excuse flying a VFR aircraft into IMC; let's throw that specious argument into the trash, where it belongs.

The world of stick-and-rudder flying is wide open for Sport Pilots; I'm doing upset training today for my BFR, and next year am going to do the basic aerobatic course (no, I don't want to compete - it's for the precision and other skills one gains from it that matters to me). I've already done spin training for the same reason.

That said, it's comes back to goals and mission parameters. If I were looking at aviation as a transportation option I'd go PPL; it opens up aircraft more suited for it than Champs, Cubs, or gold-plated composite techno-wonders.

[edit]

Btw, Sport Pilots can do aerobatics flying solo legally - if the aircraft is rated for it. Don't know why this myth is out there, but Sport Pilots can even compete in the USA.

[Tessmacher]

Mr. Giger, I salute you.

This is one of the best posts I have ever seen. I am sick to death of the attitude that LSA is worthless, and having had three different CFIs at three different airports tell me that they don't do "that sport pilot crap" (a direct quote from one of them) and all of them tell me they don't fool with it because they can't make money off of it, and all of them tell me "why waste your time with a ticket you can't do anything with?" has me seeing red.

I don't want to fly a Bonanza cross country at night. I want to get out when I can, and just fly around locally, in the daytime. Maybe go to another state for a day trip and lunch, and that sort of thing. All of the FBOs I've talked to have all told me that since they can't make money off of Sport Pilots, they don't want to have anything to do with it, and were rude in the telling. As if they were doing me a favour by offering ONLY Private Pilot so they can fill their wallets.

Where does a guy find a Sport Pilot CFI? I've searched the AOPA listing of instructors, I've searched the EAA listing of instructors, and I've called every airport within 50 miles of me. Th nearest one I can find is 141 miles away. Too far to drive regularly.

What's a guy to do?

[pacerpilot]

Frank nailed it! I especially like the "why pay for a seven course meal when all one wants is lunch" analogy. He's right on point with the drivers license too. I have a CDL. I also drive trucks for a living. However, previously I let my CDL go because I didn't use it-only to get it back later. Flying is pretty much the same. I used to fly high, fast and, in the murk; but not anymore. Now I just knock around the patch in my Junior Ace and take my dog for rides. If I was just learning to fly and this was my mission, I'd be looking for a sport pilot cert too. Why spend more than you need.

[Jim Hann]

Mr. Giger, I salute you.

This is one of the best posts I have ever seen. I am sick to death of the attitude that LSA is worthless, and having had three different CFIs at three different airports tell me that they don't do "that sport pilot crap" (a direct quote from one of them) and all of them tell me they don't fool with it because they can't make money off of it, and all of them tell me "why waste your time with a ticket you can't do anything with?" has me seeing red.

I don't want to fly a Bonanza cross country at night. I want to get out when I can, and just fly around locally, in the daytime. Maybe go to another state for a day trip and lunch, and that sort of thing. All of the FBOs I've talked to have all told me that since they can't make money off of Sport Pilots, they don't want to have anything to do with it, and were rude in the telling. As if they were doing me a favour by offering ONLY Private Pilot so they can fill their wallets.

Where does a guy find a Sport Pilot CFI? I've searched the AOPA listing of instructors, I've searched the EAA listing of instructors, and I've called every airport within 50 miles of me. Th nearest one I can find is 141 miles away. Too far to drive regularly.

What's a guy to do?

Tessmacher et al,

Have you considered looking for a place to do it on a compressed schedule? I know our local FBO St. Charles Flying Service (http://www.stcharlesflyingservice.com/) has done this multiple times. You might want to give Dennis a call and talk to him. They are currently down one LSA due to a takeoff accident by a renter but are very actively searching for another one. They also have a Facebook page if you are so inclined.

These FBOs are short-sighted, I know we have at least one and probably more folks locally who started in SP and ended up changing to Private certification. We are our own worst enemy sometimes.

If you won't be renting there is not the need to establish a connection with them anyway. I'm just thinking out loud here!

Jim

[rmock]

Hi everyone. I'm to young but when I'm old enough, I'm totally going for my Sport Pilot's li cence. I live by a lake and when I was younger, there was a man who owned an LSA and flew it around the lake all the time....that looked so fun! When I can get the SP, there is no need to go for the private, i'll do that later. Right now, I just want to maybe rent an LSA and fly around that lake. That would be so fun.

[jasondepew]

It's a bit far to drive from Montgomery, but Jim McLeod in Pell City was my SP CFI, and a darned good one (he managed to make a safe pilot outta the likes of me!).

Saying one wouldn't drive at all if they couldn't take a Peterbuilt pulling two bulldozers on a lowboy through the rockies in a blizzard is just as silly as "I wouldn't fly if I couldn't pilot a complex aircraft."

The world of stick-and-rudder flying is wide open for Sport Pilots; I'm doing upset training today for my BFR, and next year am going to do the basic aerobatic course (no, I don't want to compete - it's for the precision and other skills one gains from it that matters to me). I've already done spin training for the same reason.

That said, it's comes back to goals and mission parameters. If I were looking at aviation as a transportation option I'd go PPL; it opens up aircraft more suited for it than Champs, Cubs, or gold-plated composite techno-wonders.

[edit]

Btw, Sport Pilots can do aerobatics flying solo legally - if the aircraft is rated for it. Don't know why this myth is out there, but Sport Pilots can even compete in the USA.

Absolutely great points Frank. I think upset training and spinning will benefit any pilot and I definitely recommend an aerobatics course. You could spend years enjoying aerobatics as a sport pilot without getting thirsty for anything else. If at any point you do decide you want to fly something bigger and spend more time with your wings level you'll have enough hours and stick and rudder skills to make adding a private rating a snap. In the meantime, you're enjoying flying...you can take passengers...you're being a pilot. That's better than sitting on the ground because your big 18-wheeler is too expensive to fly more often.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I wrote Jim this morning, but I'll keep St Charles in mind too.

[Frank Giger]

The other reason the PPL instructors are missing the boat is that Sport Pilots are a sort of ongoing cash cow.

In addition to my SPL, I paid additionally for tailwheel instruction. I'll pay additionally for controlled airspace endorsements.

And, of course, I paid for the Under 87 Knots Cruise Speed endorsement, since the CTLS I trained in was over 87, and the Champ is less than 87, though it was concurrent with tailwheel. Thank goodness they did away with the stupid Set garbage, as it meant paying a potential six times for endorsements on aircraft.

Btw, Jim has had students coming from as far away as Auburn!

[edit]

Flying low and slow over lakes and rivers is just as great as one can imagine it. Most of my flying is just a jaunt up and down the Coosa River, looking at the banks, the wildlife, the cows munching on grass....

Once when the water was especially clear I could actually see where the fish were, and waved to some guys in a boat over to where they were. At first they didn't know why the idiot in the airplane was doing a gentle circle near them and waving only to do another circle 1500 feet away and pointing down, but then a lightbulb went off and they pulled in their lines and trolled over to the slough. On the way back they waved and held up a full stringer!