Cub Driver wrote in message . ..
I am unclear on two Sport Pilot issues: First, a new pilot may qualify
for a Sport Pilot ticket even though he or she takes a medication that
would preclude a 3rd class medical. However, an experienced pilot with
a higher ticket may not operate as a Sport Pilot if he lost a medical
last year for taking the same medication. In other words, both pilots
have exactly the same medical history: One is allowed to fly as a
Sport Pilot and the other is not.

Correct. Of course there is a big difference between a Piper Cub and a
Bonanza.

Sport Pilot is a Junior Birdman license--what Recreational Pilot was
meant to be, but got wrapped up in some many qualifications that it
never got off the ground.


Oh I disagree strongly. Most private pilots I know rarely fly with
more than one other person on board, rarely fly at night, and (even if
IFR rated) very rarely fly 'real' IFR. Heck, many Commercial pilots do
the same. I asked several of my private or higher rated freinds to
look at their last 100 hours of flight time and tell me what % could
have been accomplished under Sport Pilot rules. The average was about
85%. I'm a CFI, and, excluding instructional flight, about 80% of my
last 100 hours could have been done in a LSP with Sport Pilot
priveleges.

It seems that it provides about 4/5ths of the utility of a Private
tickt for about 1/3 of the aquisition costs, and about 2/3rds (or
less) of the ongoing costs. Hardly a 'Junior Birdman' license.

Cheers,

Cap