Question about the Sport Pilot designation

I just read a description of the limitations imposed on light sport
pilots, including the following: no flights into Class A airspace,
which is at or over 18,000' MSL; no flights into Class B, C, or D
airspace unless you receive training and a logbook endorsement; and no
flights above 10,000' MSL. It looks like taxiing is the only safe
bet.

If someone was to ask, "Well, what can the sport pilot do," what
would be the answer?

AJ

Almost anything in day/VFR with one passenger. The Class
BCD airspace endorsement is not too hard to do, a student
pilot may also do those areas solo. Most light aircraft do
not fly above 10,000 feet.

You can learn and do aerobatics, fly cross-country,fly land
and seaplanes or skis, airplanes, helicopters.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"AJ" wrote in message
oups.com...
|I just read a description of the limitations imposed on
light sport
| pilots, including the following: no flights into Class A
airspace,
| which is at or over 18,000' MSL; no flights into Class B,
C, or D
| airspace unless you receive training and a logbook
endorsement; and no
| flights above 10,000' MSL. It looks like taxiing is the
only safe
| bet.
|
| If someone was to ask, "Well, what can the sport pilot
do," what
| would be the answer?
|
| AJ
|

Thanks to Jim and Morgans for the replies. I'm not a troll (physical
appearances aside), and the question was an honest one. Thanks for the
honest answers -- they helped a great deal.

AJ

"AJ" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just read a description of the limitations imposed on light sport
pilots, including the following: no flights into Class A airspace,
which is at or over 18,000' MSL; no flights into Class B, C, or D
airspace unless you receive training and a logbook endorsement; and no
flights above 10,000' MSL. It looks like taxiing is the only safe
bet.

If someone was to ask, "Well, what can the sport pilot do," what
would be the answer?

This sounds all too much like a troll, but I'll play.

Fly anywhere you want to, with relatively simple signoffs, as long as you
don't go really high, like most single engine piston pilots don't do,
anyway.

Fly in VFR conditions, like most single engine piston pilots prefer, anyway.

Fly smaller sized aircraft, with speeds limited to what many single engine
piston planes will never go faster than, anyway.

Fly around with a buddy, which around 50% or more pilots of single engine
piston airplanes don't exceed, anyway.

Fly in a new single engine piston aircraft, with many models costing from 50
to 85 thousand dollars. Try buying a new non-sport airplane for anywhere
near that cost.

Fly in the daytime only, which 75% or more single engine piston flights are,
anyway.

So, in a paraphrase of a very old Wendy's add, "Where's the beef?" You can
do most of what the majority of pilots of single engine piston airplanes do.
Less cost, newer equipment possible, less training.

If you don't like the limitations and can pass a medical, go for the full
ticket. Sport pilot is still a great thing for a great many people , who
due to a technicality, can not pass a medical, or don't want to spend the
money to pass a medical.
--
Jim in NC

"AJ" wrote in message
oups.com...
If someone was to ask, "Well, what can the sport pilot do," what
would be the answer?

The "no flights into Class B, C, or D" restriction is not much of a
restriction at all since, as you already noted, it can be removed with some
training.

Basically, a Sport Pilot can do practically all of the kinds of flying that
many people who never stray far from home and just enjoy local sightseeing
and $100 hamburger flights. I used to use airplanes for lots of
long-distance traveling, but frankly in the last few years very little of my
flights could not have been done under a Sport Pilot certificate. I know
lots of pilots who are similar.

Beyond that, it provides a much more effective stepping stone to the Private
Pilot certificate than the Recreational certificate did. Dan Ford
notwithstanding, few pilots found the Recreational certificate to be a
useful route to take, given how little they trimmed from the Private in
terms of training requirements for it.

Pete

Jim Macklin wrote:
You can learn and do aerobatics, fly cross-country,fly land
and seaplanes or skis, airplanes, helicopters.


if I am not mistaken you can fly rotorcraft, but not helicopters,
i.e., you are limited to the gyroplane class in this category. But
then may be I misunderstood the new FARs (quite a different style
from the rest of the regulations); anyone?

--Sylvain

"AJ" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks to Jim and Morgans for the replies. I'm not a troll (physical
appearances aside), and the question was an honest one. Thanks for the
honest answers -- they helped a great deal.

Great. Honestly, there are some compromises that you give up, with SP. To
me, wanting to go cross country, not being able to fly at night is a
problem. Other than that, the limitation is with the plane.

One of the biggest limitations with the plane, as I see it, is the
limitation of the powerplant. There are not a lot of choices out there, to
keep the airframe at a reasonable weight, and give it a reasonable useful
load. If only they had given us a couple hundred pounds more!

Of course, you could play the "if only" game, about many of the
limitations, but "it is what it is."

What it really comes down to is, it give a lot of people a chance to get
their feet off of the ground, that might have not been able to, any other
way. All of the trade-offs seem very reasonable, at that point!
--
Jim in NC

You may be correct, I said helicopter but
rotorcraft/gyroplane sounds right.

Thanks for the correction.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Sylvain" wrote in message
...
| Jim Macklin wrote:
| You can learn and do aerobatics, fly cross-country,fly
land
| and seaplanes or skis, airplanes, helicopters.
|
|
| if I am not mistaken you can fly rotorcraft, but not
helicopters,
| i.e., you are limited to the gyroplane class in this
category. But
| then may be I misunderstood the new FARs (quite a
different style
| from the rest of the regulations); anyone?
|
| --Sylvain

On 19 Mar 2006 16:02:16 -0800, "AJ" wrote:

If someone was to ask, "Well, what can the sport pilot do," what
would be the answer?

Just about anything he wanted to, tailoring the training to his needs,
and a whole lot more than I as a recreational pilot used to be able to
do.

When the Sport Pilot ticket was approved, I got together with my
flight instructor (former instructor, now friend) and we talked about
airspace for a while. He grabbed my logbook, wrote some words, and now
I can fly in B/C/D airspace at will (my will and that of the
controller






-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 18:24:29 -0800, "Peter Duniho"
wrote:

Dan Ford
notwithstanding, few pilots found the Recreational certificate to be a
useful route to take, given how little they trimmed from the Private in
terms of training requirements for it.

I would be the first to say that I am a special case. Call me the
exception that proves (tests) the rule. I had no intention of flying
at night, I didn't like the Cessnas that I would have had to
transition into (nothing against the airplane, only the iterations
available at that particular airport), and I only wanted to fly the
Cub, which became an obsession with me almost from the first day I
flew one. Plus I was 66 at the time, and the fewer things I had to
master, the better.

I don't know which I would do today, recreational cert or Sport Pilot.
I'm happy with the former now that it has been expanded to include
controlled airspace.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com