Earn private in LSA aircraft? No medical?

I'm a student that has not decided ultimately on PPL or sport. I'm not sure yet if I'm going through the third class medical hassle. All of my time flying dual training with my CFI will count towards either certificate.

Edit - and the hours count the same regardless of what type of plane I'm flying. I'm just not allowed to solo in a non-LSA without a medical certificate.

Edit 2 - one exception is that the cross country requirements are different. PPL mileage requirements are higher for the hours to count towards the PPL cross country hours (is my current understanding). So ensuring that the landings are far enough apart to satisfy the PPL requirements will satisfy both PPL and sport cross country hours, but just flying far enough to satisfy the sport requirements will not apply to PPL cross country since it's shorter.
 
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Baked Potato said:
I'm a student that has not decided ultimately on PPL or sport. I'm not sure yet if I'm going through the third class medical hassle. All of my time flying dual training with my CFI will count towards either certificate.

Edit - and the hours count the same regardless of what type of plane I'm flying. I'm just not allowed to solo in a non-LSA without a medical certificate.

Edit 2 - one exception is that the cross country requirements are different. PPL mileage requirements are higher for the hours to count towards the PPL cross country hours (is my current understanding). So ensuring that the landings are far enough apart to satisfy the PPL requirements will satisfy both PPL and sport cross country hours, but just flying far enough to satisfy the sport requirements will not apply to PPL cross country since it's shorter.
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Sounds like you have the rules nailed!

Yes, the minimum distance for a cross country to count to a sport certificate (with airplane privileges) is more than 25 NM. More than 50 for the private. The long cross country is also different. 3 stops and 150 NM with at least one >50 NM for the private and 2 stops, 75 NM for the sport with a >25 NM leg.
 
But but but there are no more “students”, they are “learners”! This whole discussion is invalid!

Cheers
 
WDD said:
I have a bad feeling some DPE or legal opinion lawyer will say that since the student didn’t first get the sport they were obviously working towards the pl and the solo didn’t count.
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That’s why there’s a regulatory requirement to keep all of your expired medical certificates…so examiners can confirm that you were legal to do what you logged.:p
 
I guess you could fly an LSA as a Student Pilot, no medical.

Interesting, I wonder if the FAA thought of that. :)
 
Hmm, one thing to watch, if you are not sure to go LSA or Private, make sure your instruction holds a CFI ASE. A CFI-S can only given instruction for a LSA certificate, not for a Private.
 
Pinecone said:
Hmm, one thing to watch, if you are not sure to go LSA or Private, make sure your instruction holds a CFI ASE. A CFI-S can only given instruction for a LSA certificate, not for a Private.
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The FAA revised that a few years ago. Instruction from a CFI-S counts toward Private if the student receives a Sport certificate along the way.

See CFR 61.109(l)
 
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OK, I can see that. But one post was a person training in LSA, but not sure if they were going to do LSA or Private.

So, if it is with a CFI-S, they HAVE to get a LSA rating to count the dual towards the PP.
 
Pinecone said:
So, if it is with a CFI-S, they HAVE to get a LSA rating to count the dual towards the PP.
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https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-.../part-61/subpart-E/section-61.109#p-61.109(l)
"Permitted credit for flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating. The holder of a sport pilot certificate may credit flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating toward the aeronautical experience requirements of this section if the following conditions are met:..."

Not quite a fate worse than death, but yea, you have to have the certificate because having a piece of plastic changes the value of the training.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-.../part-61/subpart-E/section-61.109#p-61.109(l)
"Permitted credit for flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating. The holder of a sport pilot certificate may credit flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating toward the aeronautical experience requirements of this section if the following conditions are met:..."

Not quite a fate worse than death, but yea, you have to have the certificate because having a piece of plastic changes the value of the training.
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Not a bad idea anyway. Sorta like taking an Associate’s degree en route to a Bachelor’s. It locks in the training completed, and you at least have a certificate and can fly even if you don’t get the Private finished.
 
bflynn said:
Weird thought prompted by a question in the medical forum. Is it possible to become a light sport pilot, then do all your private training and a private checkride in a light sport aircraft under the sport certificate without having a medical? I'm looking through the private rules and I'm not seeing why not.

61.103 does not mention a medical for eligibility.
The flight proficiency and experience for 61.107 and 109 can be gained through endorsements where needed, but as a sport pilot, you can solo on your own in a LSA airplane
61.113 has a medical requirement in it, but that just means you cannot exercise the privileges of a private certificate.

In the end, you could not fly as a private pilot without getting a medical, but having the private certificate confers some advantages as a sport pilot as well as certain knowledge and skill advantages.
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Could you then test for IFR and get the IFR ticket?
 
WDD said:
To get a Sport Pilot rating you must first get the student rating / plastic card from IACRA. Which doesn’t need a medical - just an ID verification that the cfi checks. Which the DPE converts to your Sport License after passing the Sport checkride.
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I went PPL-Glider to Sport Pilot So only did the checkout with a DPE for the Glider Rating w Self Launch Then my conversion to Sport Pilot was a sign-off by two CFI's.
 
Pinecone said:
I guess you could fly an LSA as a Student Pilot, no medical.

Interesting, I wonder if the FAA thought of that. :)
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They probably weren't worried about it. What's the downside of a student pilot taking lessons and soloing without a medical in an airplane intended to be flown by pilots with no medical?
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-.../part-61/subpart-E/section-61.109#p-61.109(l)
"Permitted credit for flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating. The holder of a sport pilot certificate may credit flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating toward the aeronautical experience requirements of this section if the following conditions are met:..."

Not quite a fate worse than death, but yea, you have to have the certificate because having a piece of plastic changes the value of the training.
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And since when have you expected logic when it comes to regulations????? :D
 
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