Sport Pilot Talk

sellers_justin · Joined: 30 Jun 2010 Posts: 4 Location: KETN

What are the requirements to upgrade from Sport Pilot to Private?

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1387 Location: Lock Haven PA

The upgrade path from Sport to Private pilot depends largely on the qualifications of the instructor with whom you studied for the SP license. There are now two different classes of instructor rating. A Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) must be a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, and needs to have a current 2nd class medical at the time he or she takes the CFI practical test. A Sport Pilot Instructor (SPI) need not have a commercial, instrument rating, or medical. Both can give instruction and recommend students for the Sport Pilot practical exam. But the instructional hours with a SPI count only toward a Sport Pilot license -- they can not be counted toward higher ratings. All instruction with a CFI, on the other hand, counts toward the Private, Commercial, ATP, etc.

One can argue as to the fairness of this, but that's the way the regs are written. So, if you plan eventually to upgrade, make sure all your training is with a CFI.

As for the upgrade requirements: if you trained with a CFI, you will need more solo and dual hours (Private Pilot requires 40 total hours, Sport Pilot only 20). You'll need to take another written, similar to the Sport Pilot written, but with ten more questions, covering areas of operation not required for SP. You'll need to do some more cross countries (longer legs, unless your instructor gave you XC assignments during the SP course that also meet the Private Pilot minimums). You'll need night instruction, a night XC, electronic navigation, and operating of the aircraft solely by reference to flight instruments (under the hood).

Forward-looking flight schools structure their courses for add-on training. You can do a SP curriculum that is all compatible with continuing on to Private afterward, and everything counts. But not all flight schools organize their curriculum this way. Talk this over with your school's Chief Flight Instructor before you invest too much time and money into training that will not transfer.