About 5 years ago I bought my 71' Piper Cherokee 140/160 and started getting my lessons out of it with a CFI friend. I just about got everything done, only lacked my 3 night landings, XC and check ride but life happened and I got married and started having kids. (I sold the plane about 3 years ago because I couldn't justify it just setting in the hanger anymore and my focus was not on flying). Now, things are starting to slow back down for me and I would like to get back in the air.

License-wise I really don't have a need for a PPL anymore. My wife gets sick just by riding in the back seat of a car so you can only imagine how much she loves flying. haha Also, with the family I have now, I'd really need a 6 place for us to use for any XC trips. I can safely say that the odds of any family XC trips by plane will be not likely - wife bought a minivan . So, I want a low and slow plane that I would truly enjoy. I don't see me ever needing more that 2 seats anymore, I'm fine with VFR and I shouldn't be out past dark anyways (that's how you miss supper).

The plane I'm looking at getting now is a Chinook Plus 2, which really checks most every box for me, plus there is one here local to me that I could snag.

So my questions are:

Does the Written Exam for PPL count for or can be used in place of the Sport Pilot Written or will I need to specifically take the Sport Pilot Written Exam? PPL 60 questions, Sport Pilot looks like it's only 40.

I understand that all my previous dual hours will count toward the Sport Pilot since it was done by a PP CFI. So, technically all I need is a short XC and the check ride and I would be done? (I have well over the 20 hours required for Sport Pilot) *now I know I haven't really flown much in the past 3 years so there would be time refreshing up on everything - not to mention time learning the lighter plane and the move to tail wheel.

So, am I missing something or is the path for me to get Sport Pilot about done?