Sport Pilot Talk

Hello all, I have a question about CFIs exercising sport pilot CFI privileges.

Just wondering, let's say that a CFI had his medical expired and is exercising sport pilot CFI privileges. If a student is doing sport pilot training from a CFI exercising sport CFI privileges, will the student pilot's dual instruction hours count towards a PPL later on?

A CFI with an expired medical can still provide instruction. Just not act as PIC. That's why one can give you a Flight Review if your current one isn't expired, but not if it already has expired. Given that, I would think that it's not a matter of the training being able to apply toward a PPL, but rather whether they can give training at all to someone who can't log the time as PIC (glad I got my training before that rule change).

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Here's a radical interpretation: Per the FARs, in order to provide instruction toward the PPL, a Subpart H CFI must hold an "appropriate medical certificate". When instructing in an LSA, the "appropriate" medical certificate is a driver's license. So, by that interpretation, the hours count.

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From a practical standpoint, I've never had a CFI who signed my log book enter anything about their medical. No number, no expiration. The CFI number and exp date, yes. I would doubt that X months or years down the road anyone will ask about the CFI's medical. They'll want to know if the CFI was subpart H or not. No?

Your logbook is still an area where the honor system applies (at least to a degree). I hope it stays that way.

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Paul gave a "radical" interpretation of the regulation. No where does the regulation say "appropriate" medical. My interpretation of the regulation is that a CFI would need a Third Class medical in order to instruct for Private.

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FlyingForFun wrote:My interpretation is that the instruction he gave a student toward a Sport Pilot certificate in an LSA could be counted toward a private.

Unfortunately, I don't think you will find anyone in the FAA that agrees with that view.

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VL Roberts wrote:No where does the regulation say "appropriate" medical.

Actually, the word "appropriate" does appear in the FARs with respect to a medical certificate. (I can't cite the specific reg off the top of my head, but I researched this some months ago.) At the time that reg was written (pre-LSA), I'm sure that by "Appropriate" they meant third, second, or first class. They certainly didn't consider driver's licenses, but those are now appropriate medical certificates in some circumstances. Furthermore, I ran this interpretation past John Yodice (former AOPA counsel), and he unofficially validated my interpretation. Although this hasn't been tested at FAA (I'm certainly not going to bring a test case, and John advised against doing so), he did say that position seemed reasonable to him, in his professional estimation.

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FlyingForFun wrote:Sometimes, you need to apply a little common sense.

I agree, and that's something most pilots are capable of applying. (Not so sure about the FAA sometimes...)

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