Commercial rating in an LSA

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ericg

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ericg
Are there any issues logging hours and/or taking a commercial check ride in an LSA? I think it's okay but the regulations seem a bit confusing.
 
Does it have the necessary instruments? You also need to have a complex aircraft for some parts of the test(IIRC)

People have been training, logging, testing in what are now LSA's since the Wright Brothers.
 
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Are there any complex LSA's?

One of the requirements is "10 hours of training in an airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller, or is turbine-powered". I thought you also had to take the check ride or at least a portion of the check ride in a complex aircraft. Otherwise the hour and cross country requirements on specify "airplane".
 
I believe ,there are no complex Lsa aircraft,the only retractable gear LSAs are seaplanes.
 
idahoflier said:
Are there any complex LSA's?

One of the requirements is "10 hours of training in an airplane that has a retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller, or is turbine-powered". I thought you also had to take the check ride or at least a portion of the check ride in a complex aircraft. Otherwise the hour and cross country requirements on specify "airplane".
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By definition (FAR 1.1) , an LSA can not have retractable gear (except amphibs / glider) or a controllable pitch propeller. So, to train and take the check ride with an LSA, you would need to have a second aircraft for the 10 hours of complex training and demonstrating the "complex" stuff during the ride.
Otherwise, and airplane is an airplane.
 
You can do most of the ride in a LSA but you'll need to meet the complex requirements in, well, a complex aircraft. Not unheard of to do your test in two separate aircraft.
 
I have the required time in a complex aircraft. Does the checkride need to be in a complex aircraft?
 
ericg said:
I have the required time in a complex aircraft. Does the checkride need to be in a complex aircraft?
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At least part of the checkride needs to be in a complex aircraft. It used to be somewhat common to use two aircraft for the ride - something less expensive for the air work (because that's what you did that sort of training in to save a buck) and a complex aircraft to show that you know how to move the gear lever up and down. Dunno if you can still do that or not.
 
ericg said:
I have the required time in a complex aircraft. Does the checkride need to be in a complex aircraft?
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At least part of the checkride needs to be in a complex airplane, as has already been mentioned. You could however do the initial commercial certificate checkride in a multi (assuming it is complex) and do a single engine add on in the LSA if you are insistent that the checkride must be done in the LSA.

You'll also want to confirm that your examiner is willing to do a checkride in a light sport...
 
The commercial checkride is only an hour and a half. Why go to the hassle of changing planes partway through, going through a second set of logbooks and so forth to save what'll come out to about fifty bucks?
 
You need the complex time anyway, just time it so you go from that to taking your these in complex, don't make things complicated.

You won't be doing yourself any favors going the two plane route.

Ofcourse if you did your initial CPL in a seaplane you could do your land add on in any land plane, including a simple LSA.
 
ateamer said:
The commercial checkride is only an hour and a half. Why go to the hassle of changing planes partway through, going through a second set of logbooks and so forth to save what'll come out to about fifty bucks?
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It's not the cost of the ride, it's the cost of the training.

A couple examples of peeps who went that route:
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...neuvers-commercial-checkride-in-complex.86446
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...-pattern-my-commercial-checkride-story.104017

If it's worth it in the end, I can't say. But the O.P. asked if it could be done...
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
It's not the cost of the ride, it's the cost of the training.
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Training costs are going to be the same. If you can’t figure out how to do the commercial maneuvers to ACS standards within the 10 hours of complex time needed, then there might be other problems to address.

Add me to the list of people who doesn’t understand all the effort spent trying to avoid just doing the commercial training and checkride in a complex plane.
 
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