Looking to Obtain the Sport Pilot Certificate

[tech10002]

I'm in the same boat you're in. I'm 6'1 and about 280. As the other guys said, useful load is gonna be an issue with most LSA. The exception I know about is the Remos G3 and the GX to a lesser extent. The G3 has over a 700 pound useful load usually. The GX is close to 650 normally. I have sat in a GX. I won't say it was luxurious, but I fit fine. I have flown an Evektor Sportstar, and it is very roomy and comfortable. My instructor and I flew it from northern Ky all the way to sun n fun. Its useful load is usually only around 550 pounds in the earlier SL models you typically find for rent, though, so you'd need to find a very small instructor to make it legal and have enough fuel for anything. I have sat in Flight Designs CTSWs and they are great and have a pretty decent useful load. Forget anything Jabiru. They are super narrow. I couldn't even close the door on a J230. You would probably be fine in a Sportcruiser or a Bristell if you could find one, too.

Good luck with your training. I hope you can find an aircraft near you. I had to give my training up when the only flight school with an LSA within 300 miles shut down.

[GregD]

You might check with this website https://lightsportman.com/ he has a page of listings of places that rent LSA aircraft that he's put together. He shows 4 in AZ and I think 3 of them are in/around the Phoenix area.
I'm in the Tucson area and have only found one place that does LSA training but their plane is not available for anything but dual instruction, part of why I have no logged time since my SP check ride. Hopefully you live at least fairly close to one of the places that can give instruction and be able to rent later too.

[1600vw]

Once you get your SP ticket look into airplanes such as the super hornet with a 912 on it. My buddy has one. When I am in the front seat at 190 lbs the nose won't even go onto the ground. It takes about a 250 frame of a person to put the nose down when sitting on the ground. My buddy claims a 300 lbs pilot could fly it if he could fit in it.

Tony

[pointpergame]

I just flew for a couple weeks in the Flight Designs CTLS. It has a large payload but still restricts each seat to 260 pounds. I assume that's for concerns about roll authority. I'm offering this as a data point for your search. As another consideration, stick, rudder, and seat geometry are probably a bigger concern. The SLSA Champ might actually work with its deliberately forward-curved stick to accommodate a larger upper torso.

[DaleB]

So, Ragnar, my voluminous friend, how are things progressing? Have you started training yet?

[jedi]

CFI in the Tucson area at 185 Pounds will fly with you if we can find a suitable aircraft. cfi1467368@yahoo.com

[LightSportMan]

Yea checkout my website http://LightSportMan.com and let me know if you need any more help...