Ultralight sailplane aerotow liability

very interesting.. I'll have to research that one..
it could be in the "FAR definition" of "aircraft, airplane, glider, and
ultralight"

BT

"mat Redsell" wrote in message
...
When I was inquiring about towing an ultralight the FAA said that an "N"
numbered aircraft can't pull one without an "N" number.... this might also
be worth looking into.

-mat

snip
shows precedent. I hope this becomes true for Sport Pilot
also. Otherwise, with the 10,000 ft altitude restriction,
Sparrowhawk is unlikely to want to make a Sport version (at
least that was one downside that Greg Cole communicated to me).

snip

makes sense to me, but with no N number.. there are those that are taking on
risk to tow the sparrowhawk aloft.

BT

"Mark James Boyd" wrote in message
news:4064a206$1@darkstar...
In article VQP8c.9144$1I5.308@fed1read01,
BTIZ wrote:
Will this all change with the coming of the "Sport Pilot Certificate" and
the "Sport Aircraft" certification?? I'm sure the Sparrow Hawk will fit
into
that category.

The Vne limit and 10,000 ft altitude Sport restrictions
discourage some glider makers from making
a glider a sport category aircraft...

--

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Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA

I think you'll find the altitude limit is on the pilot, not the aircraft.
This is probably so they don't have to have oxygen systems in the Sport
Pilot curriculum.
The Vne limit is kind of silly, but it's just a placard. What if someone
made a glider with a design dive speed of 350 kts, and then placarded Vne as
100 kts, just as a "safety factor"?
But really, why have a Sport Pilot glider license? You need to pass an FAA
practical in either case. In neither case do you need a medical.
The Light Sport Aircraft could make certification somewhat cheaper for a
manufacturer, but as long as gliders are able to get the Experimental --
Exhibition and Racing registration, I don't think it's a huge deal.
Where LSA had the possibility of being useful to gliders was in having LSA
towplanes. I think a purpose-built towplane could be built within the
constraints of LSA that would be fairly inexpensive to run. But as I
understand it, towing is explicitly forbidden.

Tim Ward

"mat Redsell" wrote in message ...
When I was inquiring about towing an ultralight the FAA said that an "N"
numbered aircraft can't pull one without an "N" number.... this might also
be worth looking into.

-mat

Mat,

I have seen N-registered tow planes towing gliders not being N-registered.
Are they all illegal in terms of FAA regulations?

Please let us know, thanks
Michael

"Michael" wrote in message
om...
"mat Redsell" wrote in message
...
When I was inquiring about towing an ultralight the FAA said that an "N"
numbered aircraft can't pull one without an "N" number.... this might
also
be worth looking into.

-mat

Mat,

I have seen N-registered tow planes towing gliders not being N-registered.
Are they all illegal in terms of FAA regulations?

Please let us know, thanks
Michael

Maybe you could register an ultralight sailplane as a "banner".

Tim Ward

FAA said that an "N"
numbered aircraft can't pull one without an "N" number.... this might also
be worth looking into.

Please look into it - quote the FAR or the FAA letter stating this as a
reference so we can have it on file.

US CFR 91.309 outlines towing of "gliders" which presumably
means "gliders" as defined by the FAA (with airworthiness
certificate that says "glider").

US CFR 91.311 says "No pilot of a civil aircraft may tow anything
with that aircraft (other than under 91.309) except in accordance
with the terms of a certificate of waiver issued by the Administrator."

The banner tow guys have waivers, according to my plane partner who
used to tow banners in Los Angeles. I assume one could apply for a
waiver to tow other things, but I'm guessing success could be spotty.
The FAA FSDOs seem to be getting more and more conservative
(no more field approvals, increasing experimental "limitations" list,
etc.).

In article ,
mat Redsell wrote:
When I was inquiring about towing an ultralight the FAA said that an "N"
numbered aircraft can't pull one without an "N" number.... this might also
be worth looking into.

-mat




--

------------+
Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA

91.309 and 91.311

Burt Compton wrote:
FAA said that an "N"
numbered aircraft can't pull one without an "N" number.... this might also
be worth looking into.

Please look into it - quote the FAR or the FAA letter stating this as a
reference so we can have it on file.


--

------------+
Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA

Well, with a sport version, an N number is given.
And yep, it would be a "sport glider."

The benefit is that maint. and inspection requirments
can be attained by 80 hours + 16 hours of sport maint. trng.

Others have mentioned the sport glider rating is
silly. Agreed, for the straight rating. But the transition rating
is something quite different (and useful).

In article s149c.12225$1I5.9505@fed1read01,
BTIZ wrote:
snip
shows precedent. I hope this becomes true for Sport Pilot
also. Otherwise, with the 10,000 ft altitude restriction,
Sparrowhawk is unlikely to want to make a Sport version (at
least that was one downside that Greg Cole communicated to me).

snip

makes sense to me, but with no N number.. there are those that are taking on
risk to tow the sparrowhawk aloft.

BT




--

------------+
Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA