sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Finally, a place for sport pilot instructors and/or wannabees to talk about instructing.

Moderator: drseti

3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by 3Dreaming »

FlyingForFun wrote:"Aircraft with a standard airworthiness certificate that meet above specifications may be flown by sport pilots. However, the aircraft must remain in standard category and cannot be changed to light-sport aircraft category. Holders of a sport pilot certificate may fly an aircraft with a standard airworthiness certificate if it meets the definition of a light-sport aircraft."

So, it meets the definition of LSA, but it's not an LSA. It must be maintained by a licensed A&P (for the most part), for instance.
Your quote is mostly true, but it deals with how the aircraft was issued an airworthiness certificate and not what kind of aircraft it is. The term I highlighted is not in the same order as what the FAA uses. They say Light Sport Category aircraft. The Light Sport category was created as a way to issue an airworthiness certificate to a Light Sport Aircraft that Has never had an airworthiness certificate issued in any other category or in a foreign country.
3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by 3Dreaming »

drseti wrote:I see where we're getting bogged down here. The term LSA is used in two different ways in the regs. LSA is both a defined acronym, and an airworthiness certificate category. A certified aircraft may meet the definition, but cannot be in the category.
LSA is only used one way in the regulations. LSA is simply an aircraft that meats the CFR 1.1 definition. The FAA created a Light Sport Category as a way to issue an airworthiness certificate to an LSA which has never had an airworthiness certificate issued before.
User avatar
drseti
Posts: 7227
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:42 pm
Location: Lock Haven PA
Contact:

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by drseti »

So, if I'm understanding you correctly, Tom, you're saying we've been conflating Light Sport Aircraft with Light Sport Category. So, instead of saying a J3 Cub cannot be an LSA, we should be saying the Cub cannot be in the Light Sport Category. I'm cool with that. In fact, it's consistent with one of the slides I use in my FAA Safety powerpoint presentations, that shows two lists. Under the Categories heading I list SLSA, ELSA, E-AB, and SPEA. Under the Classes column, I list Airplane Land, Airplane Sea, Glider, Lighter-than-Air, Weight Shift Control, Power Parachute, and Gyroplane, and then state that Sport Pilots can (if properly endorsed) fly any combination of those Categories and Classes.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
FlyingForFun
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:41 pm

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by FlyingForFun »

Delete
Last edited by FlyingForFun on Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
drseti
Posts: 7227
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:42 pm
Location: Lock Haven PA
Contact:

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by drseti »

FlyingForFun wrote:the FAA aircraft certification is what matters
Well, sort of. That's what matters in determining maintenance requirements. Tom's more inclusive definition is what matters in terms of pilot eligibility. I do think that, for insurance purposes, the certification category is what's important, since some companies that say they won't insure LSAs are fine with insuring Cubs, Champs, T-Craft, and other Sport Pilot eligible certified aircraft.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
FlyingForFun
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:41 pm

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by FlyingForFun »

Delete
Last edited by FlyingForFun on Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by 3Dreaming »

drseti wrote:So, if I'm understanding you correctly, Tom, you're saying we've been conflating Light Sport Aircraft with Light Sport Category. So, instead of saying a J3 Cub cannot be an LSA, we should be saying the Cub cannot be in the Light Sport Category. I'm cool with that. In fact, it's consistent with one of the slides I use in my FAA Safety powerpoint presentations, that shows two lists. Under the Categories heading I list SLSA, ELSA, E-AB, and SPEA. Under the Classes column, I list Airplane Land, Airplane Sea, Glider, Lighter-than-Air, Weight Shift Control, Power Parachute, and Gyroplane, and then state that Sport Pilots can (if properly endorsed) fly any combination of those Categories and Classes.
That is correct, a J3 Cub is an LSA, but can not be moved to the Light Sport category.
3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by 3Dreaming »

FlyingForFun wrote:I don't think it has anything to do with pilot eligibility. Sport Pilots can fly LSA's and certain other certified aircraft that meet the LSA definition. Maybe I'm missing something here, but I've been wrong before.
If you take a look at CFR part 61 the FAA only allows Sport Pilots to fly Light Sport Aircraft. Nowhere does it say they can fly anything other than a Light Sport Aircraft. They don't make any mention about how the aircraft is certified.

If you look other places in the regulations the FAA does make the split based on what kind of airworthiness certificate the aircraft has. In part 43 the FAA says a Sport Pilot can perform preventive maintenance on a aircraft owned or operated by that pilot and issued a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category.

For flying any aircraft that meets the CFR 1.1 definition is a LSA.
How the airplane is maintained is determined by the type of airworthiness certificate that is issued.
FlyingForFun
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:41 pm

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by FlyingForFun »

Delete
Last edited by FlyingForFun on Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: sport CFI requirements/ airplane

Post by 3Dreaming »

drseti wrote:
FlyingForFun wrote:the FAA aircraft certification is what matters
Well, sort of. That's what matters in determining maintenance requirements. Tom's more inclusive definition is what matters in terms of pilot eligibility. I do think that, for insurance purposes, the certification category is what's important, since some companies that say they won't insure LSAs are fine with insuring Cubs, Champs, T-Craft, and other Sport Pilot eligible certified aircraft.
Here again it has more to do with the airworthiness certificate that the aircraft has.
Post Reply