"Dana M. Hague" d(dash)m(dash)hague(at)comcast(dot)net wrote

A lot of people (mainly ultralight pilots) are finding nothing good
about SP/LSA, and I agree that it just about completely missed its
original target (which was the absorbtion of "fat" ultralights).

But it did absorb the so-called "fat" ultralights - they can now be
certified as LSA which only require a sport pilot license to fly. Before
SP/LSA they were technically aircraft that required a recreational or
private license to fly, so the rules have been relaxed quite a bit.

The problem is that unlicensed ultralight pilots were illegally flying these
aircraft which clearly didn't fit the Part 103 definition of an ultralight,
and they were hoping that the SP/LSA initiative would include a
re-definition of what an ultralight was. But that was never promised. In
fact, I believe the FAA specifically said that that was not being
considered.

Ultralight pilots are "finding nothing good about SP/LSA" because they will
no longer be able to operate outside of the CFRs without being noticed. I'm
not so sure that this is a bad thing.

BDS