"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
news:Ef4md.90244$HA.34217@attbi_s01...

"Mark James Boyd" wrote in message
news:419853c3$1@darkstar...

As far as I can tell, there are absolutely no downsides
to certifying a glider as LSA instead of another option (with one
caveat).
The caveat is that if the glider can have or has a standard
airworthiness certificate (like a 2-22 or 2-33), downgrading this
to an LSA airworthiness certificate may increase the insurance or
reduce the value of the glider during subsequent sale (if the
new buyer isn't confident in the decreased maint. standards).


If I understand the LSA certification correctly, (big if) there is one
other
big disadvantage and is the 10,000 ASL altitude limit. For those of us
living in high country, that's a problem.

Bill Daniels

In looking over the regs, it does not appear that the LSA has this limit
unless it's contained in the 'Aircraft Operating Instructions', but the SP
operating the LSA does. IOW, with a private glider pilot rating, the
altitude restriction doesn't apply. UL pilots are also authorized above
10000msl. However, in response to the comments made to SP NPRM about
removing the 10,000msl limit, several of the supporting comments for
rejection made by the FAA had to do with use of O2, size of the aircraft
mixing with larger airframes, visibility, and so on, but were blended with
the training level of the SP. I think the spirit and intent was that SP
will not operate above 10000msl at all and the FAA removed the 2000agl band
above 10000msl after the comment period.

There is potential for SSA to play in the LSA arena of inspection and
maintenance, similar to the BGA model, for recreational/training type
gliders. The higher VNe racing gliders won't fit. Unless there was a
change, FAA won't require or permit recertification of existing aircraft,
only fat ultralights will become ELSA's. Gliders fitting the definition
could be originally certified as LSA's, but downgrading, at least as
originally proposed, was not an option. Perhaps this changed following the
comment period? If not, the initial market for inspectors and maintainers
will be pretty limited.

Frank Whiteley