Get Sport Pilot Certificate now or wait for MOSAIC?

MauleSkinner said:
My experience is the pilots who pretty much ALWAYS file IFR are poor judges of what a competent VFR pilot can accomplish.
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I have friends that are IFR mostly pilots that fly with me often in my Bristell to brush up on their VFR skills because they don’t use them! When you do flight following, it’s very similar to flying basic IFR. So many IFR pilots are autopilot dependent and for me flying with them teaches me some of those skills

Regarding the usefulness of LSA. I often take longer trips you just have to be smart about weather and slowly build your personal minimums! But they are very capable airplanes and often have the latest in avionics that you need to ensure you fully understand. I’ll do a 12-15 crosswind in the Bristell if it’s anymore it’s not worth flying anyway for me.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Have you compared LSA speeds with Cessna 172s? It's not like the gap is that huge.
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It's not the speed so much as the need for an instrument rating when flying long distances. The weather isn't going to cooperate everywhere in the US.
 
Jon Wilder said:
It's not the speed so much as the need for an instrument rating when flying long distances. The weather isn't going to cooperate everywhere in the US.
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Got to factor where you are going to fly as well, in the north instrument isn’t useful for much of the bad weather season without FIKI
 
MauleSkinner said:
FIFY.
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At least around here, the instances of the weather being bad enough to require an instrument rating but still good enough to fly my little plane are few. Yes, it happens, but most of our IMC is in the summer and usually convective. For someone like me who's flying for pleasure and not under any real schedule pressure, an instrument ticket would be a lot of expense and hassle for a small benefit.
 
Half Fast said:
At least around here, the instances of the weather being bad enough to require an instrument rating but still good enough to fly my little plane are few. Yes, it happens, but most of our IMC is in the summer and usually convective. For someone like me who's flying for pleasure and not under any real schedule pressure, an instrument ticket would be a lot of expense and hassle for a small benefit.
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As I noted a couple of pages ago, my percentages for parking a VFR airplane and an IFR airplane on trips are about the same without FIKI and Radar.
 
Oldav8tor said:
The bigger problem is finding instructors willing to do Sport Pilot instruction and aircraft to do it in.
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I'm sorry if this has already been mentioned. You only have to fly the actual check ride in an LSA. You can do your entire training in a 172. Yes, you will have to transition to the LSA to get approved to rent & ready for the check ride.
I've suggested the Sport Pilot route to my son. Sport Pilot (25) (20) -> Private Pilot (40) -> Instrument -> Sport Instructor (150) -> Commercial/CFI (250) -> tons of hours -> ATP (1500). (Hours are minimums. We all know it will likely take longer.)
He plans to buy an RV12 this summer and teach all of his friends to fly.

Edits thanks to Daleandee and Dana: Sport pilot training is 20 hours, not 25, and you have to have a medical to solo in a non-LSA aircraft, even if you're doing sport pilot training.
 
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Kiddo's Driver said:
I'm sorry if this has already been mentioned. You only have to fly the actual check ride in an LSA. You can do your entire training in a 172. Yes, you will have to transition to the LSA to get approved to rent & ready for the check ride.
I've suggested the Sport Pilot route to my son. Sport Pilot (25) -> Private Pilot (40) -> Instrument -> Sport Instructor (150) -> Commercial/CFI (250) -> tons of hours -> ATP (1500). (Hours are minimums. We all know it will likely take longer.)
He plans to buy an RV12 this summer and teaching all of his friends to fly.
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Small nit to pick ... Sport Pilot is 20 hours minimum not 25. But as you note it's likely gonna take more hours than that anyway ...

www.law.cornell.edu

14 CFR § 61.313 - What aeronautical experience must I have to apply for a sport pilot certificate?

www.law.cornell.edu www.law.cornell.edu
 
Kiddo's Driver said:
'm sorry if this has already been mentioned. You only have to fly the actual check ride in an LSA. You can do your entire training in a 172. Yes, you will have to transition to the LSA to get approved to rent & ready for the check ride.
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Not quite... if the student doesn't have a medical he has to use a LSA for all solo flying.
 
Kiddo's Driver said:
I'm sorry if this has already been mentioned. You only have to fly the actual check ride in an LSA. You can do your entire training in a 172. Yes, you will have to transition to the LSA to get approved to rent & ready for the check ride.
I've suggested the Sport Pilot route to my son. Sport Pilot (25) -> Private Pilot (40) -> Instrument -> Sport Instructor (150) -> Commercial/CFI (250) -> tons of hours -> ATP (1500). (Hours are minimums. We all know it will likely take longer.)
He plans to buy an RV12 this summer and teaching all of his friends to fly.
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That's a good route to take. There's a gal on some of the social networks, pilotkaity I think it is, who went that route to be able to start instructing sooner and spend less money. I think she's flying a PC12 now, with no debt.
 
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Kiddo's Driver said:
I've suggested the Sport Pilot route to my son. Sport Pilot (25) (20) -> Private Pilot (40) -> Instrument -> Sport Instructor (150) -> Commercial/CFI (250) -> tons of hours -> ATP (1500). (Hours are minimums. We all know it will likely take longer.)
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It's great to have a plan. This doesn't really pertain to your son, but another option is to do Gliders (150 hours*) :) , then add -ASEL to a Private-G (ca. 22 hours), Instrument (ca. 40 hours), Commercial-G (200 total) and then add -ASEL (250 total, 100 in powered craft).

*Okay . . . A Glider Cert is technically 10 hours, 20 flights (three with a CFI-G).** But you need 250 for the commercial, and those peacefully quiet airplanes one can solo at 14 are educational, tons of fun, and about 1/3 the price of all those noisier airplanes with spinny things.

**And I seriously doubt anyone would lend you their glider to solo in with only 3 flights.
 
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billsgs126 said:
It's great to have a plan. This doesn't really pertain to your son's but another option is to do Gliders (150 hours*) :) , then add -ASEL to a Private-G (ca. 22 hours), Instrument (ca. 40 hours), Commercial-G (200 total) and then add -ASEL (250 total, 100 in powered craft).

*Okay . . . A Glider Cert is technically 10 hours, 20 flights (three with a CFI-G).** But you need 250 for the commercial, and those peacefully quiet airplanes one can solo at 14 are educational, tons of fun, and about 1/3 the price of all those noisier airplanes with spinny things.

**And I seriously doubt anyone would lend you their glider to solo in with only 3 flights.
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He had the opportunity to do gliders when he was 14. I offered that if he could do a full flight in the Condor software with the same glider the local place used, I would pay for him to get his ticket. He will freely admit that he was stupid for not taking me up on that offer.
Something about leading a horse to water...
 
Kiddo's Driver said:
He had the opportunity to do gliders when he was 14. I offered that if he could do a full flight in the Condor software with the same glider the local place used, I would pay for him to get his ticket. He will freely admit that he was stupid for not taking me up on that offer.
Something about leading a horse to water...
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How old is he now? If he's anything less than 26 or so, recognizing he was dumb at 14 is pretty impressive. :rofl:
 
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