Sport Pilot Talk

FastEddieB · Joined: 07 Jan 2009 Posts: 126 Location: Mineral Bluff, GA

As a lot of you know, back in December I converted my S-LSA Sky Arrow to an E-LSA. I did that so as to allow me to do my own maintenance and minor (or even major) alterations.

However, in order to do my own annual inspections, a 16-hour course "Light Sport Repairman - Inspection" was required. I signed up for one with Mike Huffman at http://www.sportaviationspecialties.com/ in Lawrenceville, GA and took the course this weekend.

Anyway, VERY informative. As a CFI, some of the "Theory of Flight" and W&B stuff was just a review, but lots of valuable information about the inspection process, regulations involved, hardware requirements, that sort of thing. The last few hours were "hands-on", doing a differential compression test, using and calibrating torque wrenches, testing fabric, and examining cables and safety wire for appropriate standards - that sort of thing.

Now I just have to take my completion certificate in to the local FSDO to have the actual license issued.

Anyway, highly recommended if you have an E-LSA and want to do your own inspections.

Note: this only allows you to do annual inspections on a E-LSA that you own. It has little to do with actual maintenance, which can already be done by anyone on an Experimental.

roger lee · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:36 am Post subject: Inspections

Hi Eddie,

You can not do your own inspections until April 2 when the new regulations go into effect. Until then a glitch in the rules says you have to follow the original category maint even if you change to ELSA. This is why they made the change in the new rules, They realized it wasn't right, but until then you still need an A&P or RLSM-A to do the maint or inspection. Anyone that has gone from SLSA to ELSA up til then and done their own work has been out of Airworthy compliance which means they were flying illegally and their insurance was not applicable. Once April 2nd. comes around you'll be good to go.

FastEddieB · Joined: 07 Jan 2009 Posts: 126 Location: Mineral Bluff, GA

Not too applicable to me, since my next inspection is next December and there's no maintenance due on my Sky Arrow between now and April 2.

But without opening a can of worms, let me just say there are DAR's and others who disagree with your interpretation, as did the EAA in a recent article.

But not a debate I really wish to pursue - I can wait until April regardless.