Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes Are you planning on owning an SLSA?

An interesting and informative read:

http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2008/anp0812.html

Bill
Grants Pass Oregon

I read that article a couple of weeks ago. I've concluded that dealing with manufacturers who can designate who can and cannot work on the planes they built would be a boondoggle worse than dealing with the FAA.

So, should I decide to fly under a sport pilot license (in my case all I need to do is not renew my medical and be certain I have a valid driver's license -- no need to take sport pilot training because I already have a PPL; I could even fly into towered airports without a new CFI sign-off because that was covered by the instructor when I got the PPL), then (boy, this is turning into a long sentence) . . .

Then I would only purchase a certified aircraft that meets the light sport airplane rules OR buy or build a homebuilt that meets the rules.

Em I missing something interesting??

Well, LSA pilot's license applies only to US. (By US, I don't mean "us" but United States.) I don't know how SLSA aircraft are treated outside of the US.

But what is SLSA?? Im just curious thats all.

But what is SLSA?? Im just curious thats all.

SLSA = Special Light Sport Aircraft. This is one built not to FAA standards but to consensus standards developed by light sport aircraft manufactures and administrated by a private organization rather than a government one

as opposed to

ELSA = Experimental Light Sport Aircraft, an aircraft such as a "heavy" ultralight or a two seat ultralight (whither manufactured or homebuilt) that meets the light sport aircraft specifications and is registered as a LSA

as opposed to

Experimental/homebuilt aircraft that meet the light sport aircraft specifications but are not registered as a LSA.

as opposed to

Certified aircraft that were built by manufacturers that met the FAA certification standards and the aircraft happens to meet the light sport aircraft specifications.

All of the above can be flown by a pilot with a light sport pilot license.

Main limitations of light sport pilot license:
no night flying
no flying above 10,000 ft
no flying into towered airports without sign-off by CFI provided the plane is properly equipped

A pilot with PPL can fly a suitably equipped Light Sport Aircraft at night, above 10,000 feet, and into towered airports, and even under IFR.

Main limitations of a plane that meets the light sport plane specifications:
must have no more than two seats
a max gross of 1320 pounds or less
a max cruise speed of 130 miles per hour
a max stall speed of about 52 mph (45 knots exactly)

Note: almost every statement above has one or more exceptions (of course).

G'day all

This might be correct, but wouldn't your PPL have to be suitably endorsed (read - medical in place, current) to exercise that option???? as without a current medical in GA terms you're not supposed to fly "in command"??, so this allowance to fly as described above, I would have though, would be over-rulled. I don't know..... just seem a bit questionalbe, as such

Cheers

Right, the pilot would need a current medical, a current flight review, and any endorsements, with an IFR rating and current in it, etc. The point is that a plane that meets the light sport aircraft does not have to be limited to merely day, VFR flight below 10,000 feet provided the plane is suitably equipped and the pilot has a PPL and is also suitably "equipped."

Oh, I should have also listed VFR day only as a light sport pilot requirement. (Even this has an additional limitation -- it cannot be VFR day on top. The light sport pilot must maintain ground contact.)

As an example of another wrinkle, if the sport pilot never had a PPL, and received training in an aircraft that flies at cruise slower than 87 knots (many ultralight-like aircraft do not fly faster than that), then the sport pilot would need additional training and a CFI endorsement to pilot a light sport aircraft that flies faster than 87 knots.

So, if I no longer have a valid medical and want to fly an LSA, can I go into a towered airport?