Saving the LSA/SPL

rtk11 said:
You WANT to train for your Sport Pilot certificate with a CFI rated to teach private pilot. Why? Because your hours will count toward a PP certificate if you want to pursue that. But if you train with a CFI-SP (sport pilot CFI), you will not be able to apply the 22+ hours toward the private pilot rating.

As a Sport Pilot, you will be limited to flying aircraft in conformance to the LSA rules. So S-LSA, E-LSA, and GA aircraft that fit within the LSA category (e.g. ErCoupe)

Not sure about owning the same type aircraft a student trains in and how often that occurs. I know in Torrance, the Sling Flying Club attracts students to buy their aircraft, so likely a higher incidence of training/ownership there. I trained in a Remos that I liked pretty well, but ended up with a SportCruiser because I fell in love with the low wing styling.
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The problem appears two fold; limited number of planes and limited instructors for Sport Pilots. However, turn around and you will find an excellent Cessna for PPL that is perfect for new pilot training. Turn around again and you will find a qualified PPL CFI ready to train you. This abysmal availability must be by regulatory design; our government has to be capable of creating a program more successful if the intent is indeed success. Just wish the officials would come out with why the program was designed the way they did. Their reason would probably sound something like..."well we don't want the older pilots to be completely grounded. They are very experienced and spent a lot of money on their planes, so they should be able to continue flying." This would at least be reasonable.

Trump did just assign John Dunkin as the new FAA Administrator, maybe this guy will do something for aviation.
 
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Jasper said:
Trump did just assign John Dunkin as the new FAA Administrator, maybe this guy will do something for aviation.
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Really? This is a done deal? I have no issues with it, but I wasn’t aware it was final.
 
Jasper said:
The problem appears two fold; limited number of planes and limited instructors for Sport Pilots.
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Just planes. Any CFI can train you for Sport Pilot, the syllabus is just shorter. I'm not sure if the DPE needs a different qualification (function code?) or not; I'll be flying with one this weekend and will ask him.
 
DaleB said:
Just planes. Any CFI can train you for Sport Pilot, the syllabus is just shorter. I'm not sure if the DPE needs a different qualification (function code?) or not; I'll be flying with one this weekend and will ask him.
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There was a discussion about the SP DPE situation on the Sport Pilot Talk forum a few weeks ago.
http://www.sportpilottalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5001

I don't think it's a different qualification, mostly whether the DPE is willing to do SP. Also, given LSA weight and space limits, some DPEs may not be, uh, svelte enough for certain LSAs.

A DPE also needs to be aware that SP is still using PTS, not ACS like PP.
 
Half Fast said:
http://www.sportpilottalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5001

mostly whether the DPE is willing to do SP.
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Ugh...another hurdle...excellent discussion over there. Hopefully drseti can get going...be great for communal aviation in his area I would think. I will have to ask the flight school about their DPE before hand.

My visit to the local airports involved my use of the acronym "SPL" with them responding with the acronym "PPL" that resulted in me typing on my keyboard about getting my SPL one day.
 
I drive 3 hours to Chicago after work in order to complete my Sport Pilot training. I do the 6 hour round trip every other day. You get what you put in.
 
Buzz Air Flight Academy in Lawrenceburg, TN does sport pilot training and has a pretty good reputation. Google says it's 107 miles south of Clarksville, so maybe that's too far away.

http://www.flybuzzair.com/
 
Jasper, are there any pilot associations near you? Up here in Massachusetts there are a few that are a wealth of local information with guys flying light sport AC. You may stumble into a local CFI who teaches sport and has access to an airplane you can fly, or will train you in a 150 or a 172 to get the basics down, then you can travel to place that rents to finish up. It sounds as though no matter what you do, the only way you'll be able to fly regularly is to own or if you luck out with a non flight school source.
 
Thanks guys for the help...think I will keep an eye on the place at $35/hr with the Jabiru as soon as they get the new CFI online...maybe the part-time CFI already there will have some free time also. In the meantime I will get the written test out of the way.
 
FastEddieB said:
Or proof of an approved home study course, right?
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They have an instructor in "the cloud" that "reviews" the practice tests and emails you an approval letter.

Whether he is s robot or actual person, who knows.
 
Just got one from sportys for the ir written. Seemed like a real name and cert number. But I doubt he reviewed anything.
 
Like all aircraft,Used LSA aircraft are coming down in price,and are more affordable. Do a home study course,and when your ready have an instructor ,give you a review and sign off.
 
exncsurfer said:
They have an instructor in "the cloud" that "reviews" the practice tests and emails you an approval letter.

Whether he is s robot or actual person, who knows.
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LOL. When I completed the Gleim course and passed the exams, I got a signed certificate from the application that allowed me to go take the exam. I was surprised (pleasantly) when some of my comments about the course was addressed by a call from Irv Gleim. Makes me believe there's someone behind the green curtain making the online stuff work.

@Jasper: Good to get started on the ground school. Lots of stuff to cover, but it's all stuff that will come together as you spend time in flight with your CFI. Plus it really frees you up to really focus on flight training. For all the questions you missed on your online (or home based) ground school instruction, your CFI will go over and make sure you understand that material since he/she will need to sign off on your exam results sheet to indicate that the missing material was covered.
 
rtk11 said:
LOL. When I completed the Gleim course and passed the exams, I got a signed certificate from the application that allowed me to go take the exam. I was surprised (pleasantly) when some of my comments about the course was addressed by a call from Irv Gleim. Makes me believe there's someone behind the green curtain making the online stuff work.
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I also spoke with a live body at Gleim but not the good Dr. A staff CFII. Very professional back when I did my Instrument study.
 
http://sportaviationcenter.com/
A highly acclaimed Sport Pilot School, but not cheap.
https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation...-fly-light-sport-aircraft/sport-pilot-academy
Another possibility, also not cheap.
So, despite the hype, you will see the pursuit of a SPL is not fast, easy, or cheap. And, as others have tried to say, the roadblocks are many. Most flight schools, even if they have an LSA, will not offer a SPL program. Buying your own plane for training has proven to be a successful alternative for some. For +/- $20K, you can find a good restored Aeronca Chief 11AC, or a Taylorcraft BC12D. The neat part of this is, these planes have been totally depreciated, so you can sell it later for the same price. Look up Controller, Barnstormers, and Trade-a-Plane.
 
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While there aren't too many schools or FBOs pushing SP because they don't have an LSA fleet, there are some that can offer it because they have a Cub or similar in addition to their fleet of C-150s or such. My home field (SNC in CT) is one such, they have a 90HP J-3. You can get your SP in it but the catch is that you can't rent it afterwards because (so they told me) the insurance company won't allow rental of a plane that needs to be hand propped... even for somebody like me with hundreds of hours in hand propped taildraggers.
 
I ran into the very same thing Dana mentioned. The FBO where I began training could not rent to anyone with less than a PPL and current 3rd class Medical. So, while they have 2 Skycatchers, either a CFI must be on board , or endorse each solo flight, even for a Sport Pilot with a renters policy. Just another roadblock.
 
To the OP. I see you are in Clarksville, there was a group of guys advertising on Craigslist and FB a few months back forming a SPL flying club in the Nashville area. I believe they had 2-3 local locations and a couple Sportcruisers or so. If IRC the cost was decent, they may have instructors in the club.
 
I personally hope they keep their paws out of it. All we need is a "We'll give you Cessna 150s, but hey, about this no-medical thing... "

Leave well enough alone. Not that I would not like to see some changes, but I don't trust ANYONE involved -- FAA, AOPA, any of them -- to get us GOOD changes without throwing in one or two show-stopping bad ones. Call me jaded.
 
DaleB said:
I personally hope they keep their paws out of it. All we need is a "We'll give you Cessna 150s, but hey, about this no-medical thing... "

Leave well enough alone. Not that I would not like to see some changes, but I don't trust ANYONE involved -- FAA, AOPA, any of them -- to get us GOOD changes without throwing in one or two show-stopping bad ones. Call me jaded.
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Yea. That.
 
Brad Haggett said:
To the OP. I see you are in Clarksville, there was a group of guys advertising on Craigslist and FB a few months back forming a SPL flying club in the Nashville area. I believe they had 2-3 local locations and a couple Sportcruisers or so. If IRC the cost was decent, they may have instructors in the club.
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I was interested in this entity as well. I researched it carefully prior to joining and decided not to become involved.
 
My flight school stopped LSA after cezzna pulled the sky catchers out of the sky
 
I’m interested in this subject. Starting the medical certificate process, but know enough to not submit for a 3rd Class and get rejected. If Dr. Bruce thinks I have an issue that will cause the FAA to deny, then I can go for the LSA. I live in a fairly congested airspace so I’m interested in the process to operate LSA in Class B airspace. I’ll buy a LSA for my use, but not for training purposes. I believe I can do my training in a non LSA aircraft. Has anyone gone through the process for certification to operate LSA in Class B?
 
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