Sport Pilot Transition Now Available

[Mark James Boyd]

http://www.aopa.org/sportpilot/

It seems the FAA has decided that using the
8710-1 is OK to use as documents "acceptable to the administrator"
for transitioning Sport Pilots. So if you have
airplane ASEL pilots or CFIs who want to transition to
gliders in a 2-33 or SZD 50-3, it appears this is now acceptable
after the appropriate training and submission of
an FAA form 8710-1.

This is a change to the previous guidance, which indicated the
applications would not be accepted until January 15, 2005 (the
scheduled release date of the FAA form 8710-11).

On the other hand, solo of brand new sport pilots (not transition)
has not yet been fully supported. More on this later...

I plan to transition an ASEL CFI to a Sport Glider CFI in the
coming weeks, and submit the 8710-1. I'll keep this newsgroup
up to date on this as we get feedback from our FSDO...
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Mark J. Boyd

[Mark James Boyd]

http://www.sportpilot.org/news/041007_finalize.html
has similar information.

In article <4174e28d$1@darkstar>, Mark James Boyd > wrote:
>http://www.aopa.org/sportpilot/
>
>It seems the FAA has decided that using the
>8710-1 is OK to use as documents "acceptable to the administrator"
>for transitioning Sport Pilots. So if you have
>airplane ASEL pilots or CFIs who want to transition to
>gliders in a 2-33 or SZD 50-3, it appears this is now acceptable
>after the appropriate training and submission of
>an FAA form 8710-1.
>
>This is a change to the previous guidance, which indicated the
>applications would not be accepted until January 15, 2005 (the
>scheduled release date of the FAA form 8710-11).
>
>On the other hand, solo of brand new sport pilots (not transition)
>has not yet been fully supported. More on this later...
>
>I plan to transition an ASEL CFI to a Sport Glider CFI in the
>coming weeks, and submit the 8710-1. I'll keep this newsgroup
>up to date on this as we get feedback from our FSDO...
>--
>
>------------+
>Mark J. Boyd


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Mark J. Boyd

[Mark James Boyd]

Todd,

Thanks so much for posting this info.
As far as it goes, since there aren't really any
CFIG-SP instructors yet in the world (they are all
just full CFIGs at this point), I haven't been too
concerned about this, since I plan to just solo students
as a regular ol' part 61 anyway.

Beyond that, I see your point about the Student Pilot cert
and then no medical for solo in a Champ. A very good
point.

I suppose the biggest hurdle now really isn't the
FSDO or FAA, who have done what I think is a remarkable job.
The biggest, and most important hurdle, is getting the approval
of the insurance company to allow these SPs to take
passengers and to allow the CFIG-SPs to train students
in the gliders.

The 2-33 I would expect to see the insurers
accept readily for this. The SZD 50-3 may take a bit
more convincing or a small premium increase to allow
SPs.

Todd Pattist > wrote:
(Mark James Boyd) wrote:
>
>>On the other hand, solo of brand new sport pilots (not transition)
>>has not yet been fully supported. More on this later...
>
>I spoke to the FAA Sport Pilot hotline in OK City last week
>about solo for brand new ab-initio SP applicants. They
>initially advised me that solo was not yet possible, but
>they weren't really sure. I pointed out that anyone can get
>a student pilot certificate from their FSDO without the
>medical (as they currently do for gliders) and that under
>the Sept rule change they would then be legal to solo in an
>airplane (Champ) LSA or glider LSA with an instructor's
>signoff. I wasn't challenging them, just trying to find the
>applicable rules. After some more checking with the higher
>ups and a return call, they changed their reply and agreed
>with me - you can solo an SP applicant now. He needs to
>meet the requirements, get a student cert, get the training
>and get the CFI signoffs.
>
>Prior calls to AOPA and FSDO got these responses:
>
>FSDO - OK to solo now with a student cert. We won't ask why
>they want it, but we've only had a 3 hour intro to Sport
>Pilot stuff, so we're just feeling our way along.
>
>AOPA - Can't solo until November 15, and we just learned
>can't solo until January 15. We agree there is no rule
>against it if you have a student cert, but the FAA says they
>are going to have a special SP student certificate and they
>aren't ready yet.
>
>YMMV
>
>Todd Pattist - "WH" Ventus C
>(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)


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Mark J. Boyd