Sport pilot license.

Any real airplane drivers have a comment about the new Sport Pilot license? Are we going to fill the skies with idiots or is it going to be OK?
Opinions? :-?

Please don't get me started about who is a real pilot and who is not. Are you saying , "he who has the most ratings is the realist pilot"? I think there is more to being a "real pilot" than a name on a pilot certificate. My guess is that we will have better odds of killing ourselves than dieing from an accident with someone with a sport pilot certificate. Now I better go take cover.

They should at least know the rules unlike some of the ultralight and powered parachute pilots I have encountered.

If mastering a J-3 makes one a "real pilot", then those Sport Pilots who fly J-3s are OK with me. I've seen a lot of pilots with higher ratings with not a lick of sense in their brains. More gadgets doesn't make you better; it's all in your judgment and how you apply it.

Spending more money doesn't make you a better pilot either. If Sport Pilots can fly for less money than the rest of us, more power to them.

As for following rules, anyone can pick up and read (or not read) the FARs. The rules for the various classes of airspace apply to everyone. I still don't know what areas of learning Sport Pilot leaves out, though. Probably stuff about use of supplemental oxygen, life rafts, maybe less emphasis on using approach and departure control services?

I agree with Steve's post. I presume they must pass a written and a verbal on their "check ride". Just basic knowledge of traffic patterns, etc. would be a major improvement from what I have encountered with para-sails and ultra-lights. Some have been close enough that I have been tempted to go back and get the shotgun. I have met them "head-on" at pattern altitude at various local strips. Twice I have had para-sails do a "fly down the runway deal" at our farm strip. Both times it was in the evening (fall) so the sun was right in my eyes. Just as I was climbing over the wires I saw a "glob" in the glimmering windshield. The jerk was about 150' coming right at me. It was close. Anyways . . it should help. Sorry . . . I'll keep quiet now.

sport pilot

Im glad that alot of pilots will have a 2nd chance to keep flying due to there medical situation. Alot of fun flying coming our way, and alot of concern about getting run over when you mix alot of slow flying machines and carbon fiber rockets using the same runway.

Be careful about the medical situation. If you lose your medical, you cannot automatically revert to the sport pilot status. You will have to regain your medical to even fly sport pilot.

If you never had a medical, or if yours expired, you can obtain sport pilot status.

So here's the trick: If you think something is wrong enough with you that you'll lose your next medical, just let it expire. Then get the sport pilot license.

Anne.

It's up to us to make sure that the LSA experience is a good one for everyone. It has tremendous potential to revive a component of general aviation near and dear to all of us that has been slowly withering on the vine.

My personal hope is that this will enable a lot more flying and make all of us better pilots. We Cub Types are in a perfect position to help cultivate the new and returning crop of pilots and make sure they obtain the necessary skills to share the pattern and the skies. What an opportunity for all of us!

annestoy said:

If you never had a medical, or if yours expired, you can obtain sport pilot status.

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When I am that old, im not going to care if there is a sport pilot program or not. Most people work a long time to get a supercub or whatever their dream plane is. Do you think they are really going to trade it for a J-3, champ, taylorcraft? If life takes you that far along, does it really matter?

The sport pilot rule is mainly there to get the ultralights under control. I really think there should be a rule that makes flying available to pilots that meet the sport requirements as far as medical but cannot have a ground speed over 110 knots.

The sport aircraft business is booming. How long is there going to be three companies that build cubs when they are turning out 100+ airplanes a year? Im not sure how big the two place (toy) airplane market is when their are tons of J-3s already out on the market. It will be interesting to see what the market is like in 20 years when all of these new sport pilot rag and tube planes need recovered/rebuilt.

Tim

Just how old do you have to be to lose your medical?

Tim

If you're not a commercial pilot that's flying a commercial flight, I'd call you a sport pilot. The fact that my certificate requires a medical and I fly an airplane that's a couple of hundred pounds heavier than those people with a "Sport" certificate label doesn't ensure I'm more of a pilot, or a better pilot. If and when the day comes when I opt to go the Sport Pilot way, I'll fly a qualifying airplane and be happy that I can. I see it as an opportunity given, not as one taken away.

My personal standards for health and flying are higher than those of my flight surgeon. I've never had a disqualifying condition, either, so my perspective is limited. A third class physical is about as thorough as a drive-by annual.

SB

T Willson said:

Just how old do you have to be to lose your medical?

Tim

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I know a 19 year old struggling to get a medical, and I know an 85 year old that breezes right through his. It is not age limited, it is condition limited.

http://www.aviationmedicine.com/ has a lot of good info on it.

sj

The LSA is a great thing for pilots with a medical condition such as elevated blood pressure. If it gets too high you can let your medical expire and still fly LSA. I do whish the training was more involved than it is, but the requirements are just minimum standards and I?d like to think most people will want more out of their training.


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Steve, that was my point exactly.Just my lame attempt at sarcasm. I was refering to behindpropellers post. I too see sport pilot as an opportunity for a lot of people. I see planes all the time for sale for medical reasons, my guess is a lot of these people would gladly fly a j-3, champ, Taylor Craft, or Legend cub, rather than retire to the tv room. These planes that meet sport pilot guidelines, are in fact many peoples "dream airplanes". I would think that the requirement for a BFR would weed out the incompetent.

Tim