Light Sport

[martymayes]

And it doesn't matter anyway, because as far as I'm concerned, they missed the goal they were designed to accomplish, and by a wide margin. It was supposed to make "affordable" aircraft possible, but someone has a WAAAAAY different definition of affordable than I have.

Dave

Well Dave, I have gone back and looked through initial discussions for Light Sport aircraft and "affordable" was rarely if ever directly mentioned in notes from those meetings. The primary goal of LSA was to attract new entrants with reduced pilot training/certification requirements and new technology ready-to-fly aircraft. For the latter, it was thought reducing certification obstacles would generate an influx of new aircraft. It can certainly be implied that cost was a factor because there was concern the price tag on a new Piper or Cessna ($160K at that time) was a barrier for growing a new generation of pilots. ASTM F37 was created to make a set of compliance rules for light sport aircraft and again there is nothing about "affordable" published there.

Fast forward a few yrs and we have $150-$175 airplane style LSA's rolling off the assembly lines. Or $60k-$75k trikes that to me looked like a $5k ultralight with 2 seats. So yea, I too was stricken by the subjective "affordable" term and somewhat flummoxed as to how this was going to be an "affordable" activity. However, it appears to be clicking along. For a new aviation related industry I don't think it has done too bad. Compared to other recreational activity industries it would be graded a total failure but this is aviation. Different grading standards apply.

[martymayes]

Frank logged time flying an ultralight did NOT count towards any certificate. Never has never will. If the FAA would have allowed this then things may be a bit different from what we see today.

Tony, could one not build an ultralight and operate it as an E-A/B airplane and log as many hours as they wish......??

[rwanttaja]

Joe was in the middle of the process and gave a great summary.

What a lot of folks don't realize is that the FAA already ANSWERED most of the questions...such as "why 1,320 pounds?"...back when they announced the final rule.

I've put the old Notice of Proposed Rulemaking up on my web page:

http://www.wanttaja.com/sportpilot.pdf

Yes, it's ~240 pages long. Put on your reading glasses. "Find" is your friend.

Ron Wanttaja

[Frank Giger]

Marty, I have never equated the terms "assembly line" and "affordable aircraft" in my mind.

True, I came to aviation late, and with a totally different mindset. Of course I would build my own plane, and a light one well within my beer budget, as there isn't such an animal as an inexpensive certified aircraft.

[Exocetid]

Am I in the right forum? I've been thinking about re-instating my 3rd class medical, not denied, just expired for years. I have some medical problems that would require "Special Issuance"...

This was my scenario two years ago when I sold my Mooney and bought an S-LSA. All I need is a valid DL and I am good to go. The moment you visit an AME all that goes out the window.

As a side note, i am converting my S-LSA to E-LSA. Just a great retirement airplane (and plan to get to the UFOs (on my bucket list).

[pbbon39]

My question is how do I become a Private pilot after having been a sport pilot for 450 hrs? I started out as a student pilot in 1989 and did everything except the long cross country, written an a Check ride. Then just went and got my sport pilot license.

[Joda]

My question is how do I become a Private pilot after having been a sport pilot for 450 hrs? I started out as a student pilot in 1989 and did everything except the long cross country, written an a Check ride. Then just went and got my sport pilot license.

Get with an instructor (not a sport pilot instructor) and figure out what aeronautical experience you still need to log in order to meet the private pilot requirements. Once you log the needed experience and pass the private pilot written test, you simply would take a practical test (aka "checkride") with a pilot examiner. Go for it!!