Sport Pilot Talk

Can someone please help explain the difference between the 3 types of aircraft listed in the subject line. The more I research the more I'm confused. Thanks again to all those helping to educate me on this new found passion.

-Tony

http://www.sportaviationspecialties.com ... mation.htm

On this forum, we're talking about LSA, aircraft that don't exceed 1320 pounds and can be flown with a driver's license as medical and a Sport Pilot certificate or higher. In the most very basic of terms, SLSA are factory built and ELSA are kit built. Some owners choose to convert their SLSA to ELSA (paper work) so they can do their own maintenance and inspections.

There are four different types of aircraft that can be flown by Sport Pilots, or anyone else flying under Sport Pilot rules and limitations:

(1) SLSA stands for Special Light Sport Aircraft. Factory built under ASTM consensus standards after October 2004. (ASTM is the American Society for Testing and Materials, an engineering trade association that started out by establishing railroad standards in the 19th Century.)

(2) ELSA is a kit-built plane that conforms exactly to the design and construction standards of a particular SLSA. Alternately, it can be an SLSA that was re-registered as an experimental to allowance properly trained owner to perform his or her own condition inspections.

(3) E-AB is an experimental amateur-built aircraft that is not an ELSA. Some (but not all) comply with LSA requirements, and hence can be flown by Sport Pilots or under Sport Pilot rules.

(4) Then there are the type-certificated aircraft that predate the 2004 LSA rules, but happen to comply with the LSA rules and limitations as they were subsequently written. Most of these are antiques, and can be flown by Sport Pilots even they are certified aircraft and have Standard category airworthiness certificates. EAA calls them SPEA for Sport Pilot Eligible Aircraft (this is not an official FAA designation).

It is noteworthy to point out, a buyer can purchase a new, manufactured LSA, and have it delivered as an E-LSA. Van’s, as well as Ran’s, will accomplish this task, if an owner requests it.
Furthermore, just because the aircraft is registered as E-LSA, that does not mean the owner/purchaser is required to do the maintenance or condition inspections on it. If he/she so chooses, they can have professional mechanics maintain it, just as if it is an S-LSA.

drseti wrote:There are four different types of aircraft that can be flown by Sport Pilots, or anyone else flying under Sport Pilot rules and limitations:

Six types

1. airplanes
2. gliders
3. gyroplanes
4. lighter than air
5. powered parachute
6. weight shift control

Sport pilots can only fly Light Sport Aircraft. The definition of which is found in CFR 1.1

A light sport aircraft can receive an airworthiness certificate by several different methods. How it received its airworthiness certificate determines how it is maintained. The 4 things Paul posted are 4 of the ways a light sport aircraft can receive a airworthiness certificate. There are more than just the 4, Experimental Exhibition and Primary come to mind.

To answer the OP original question,
SLSA are built by a manufacture to ASTM standards and they receive a special airworthiness certificate from the FAA
ELSA can be a kit built copy of a manufactured SLSA, a SLSA converted to ELSA, or a previously flying fat ultralight that was registered and received an airworthiness certificate in the time allotted by the FAA during the transition to sport pilot and light sport aircraft.
EAB is an aircraft that at least 51% was built for the purpose of education or recreation.

3Dreaming wrote: Six types

1. airplanes
2. gliders
3. gyroplanes
4. lighter than air
5. powered parachute
6. weight shift control

To be precise, Tom, that's six classes. What I listed are four categories. I think "type" means something else altogether (and not what either of us intended).

Atrosa wrote:Can someone please help explain the difference between the 3 types of aircraft listed in the subject line. The more I research the more I'm confused. Thanks again to all those helping to educate me on this new found passion.

-Tony

I'm sure you're no longer confused. You can't ask a simple question and get a simple answer on this forum.

TimTaylor wrote:

Atrosa wrote:Can someone please help explain the difference between the 3 types of aircraft listed in the subject line. The more I research the more I'm confused. Thanks again to all those helping to educate me on this new found passion.

-Tony

I'm sure you're no longer confused. You can't ask a simple question and get a simple answer on this forum.

I don't know how my answer to the OP could have been any simpler and still provide an answer to the question.

drseti wrote:

3Dreaming wrote: Six types

1. airplanes
2. gliders
3. gyroplanes
4. lighter than air
5. powered parachute
6. weight shift control

To be precise, Tom, that's six classes. What I listed are four categories. I think "type" means something else altogether (and not what either of us intended).

61.313 separates the different type of aircraft into categories, not classes.

Seems like this answers the OP's question.

drseti wrote:There are four different types of aircraft that can be flown by Sport Pilots, or anyone else flying under Sport Pilot rules and limitations:

(1) SLSA stands for Special Light Sport Aircraft. Factory built under ASTM consensus standards after October 2004. (ASTM is the American Society for Testing and Materials, an engineering trade association that started out by establishing railroad standards in the 19th Century.)

(2) ELSA is a kit-built plane that conforms exactly to the design and construction standards of a particular SLSA. Alternately, it can be an SLSA that was re-registered as an experimental to allowance properly trained owner to perform his or her own condition inspections.

(3) E-AB is an experimental amateur-built aircraft that is not an ELSA. Some (but not all) comply with LSA requirements, and hence can be flown by Sport Pilots or under Sport Pilot rules.

(4) Then there are the type-certificated aircraft that predate the 2004 LSA rules, but happen to comply with the LSA rules and limitations as they were subsequently written. Most of these are antiques, and can be flown by Sport Pilots even they are certified aircraft and have Standard category airworthiness certificates. EAA calls them SPEA for Sport Pilot Eligible Aircraft (this is not an official FAA designation).

3Dreaming wrote:I don't know how my answer to the OP could have been any simpler and still provide an answer to the question.

ShawnM wrote:Ok, I guess l'll be the one to address the elephant in the room. Why is it whenever there is a "pissing match" there's always one common denominator?

Maybe it’s because that glass is always half empty.

Fantastic explanations. Thank you all.

A further break down.

SLSA require some kind of credentials for all maintenance and inspections. You need at least a sport pilot certificate to perform preventive maintenance. Condition inspections and other maintnenance can be performed by a LSRM, A&P mechanic, or repair station.

ELSA can be worked on by anyone. Condition inspections require a LSRI, LSRM, A&P, or repair station.

EAB can be worked on by anyone. Condition inspections can be performed by a person who holds a repairman certificate for that specific airplane, A&P mechanic, or repair station. The repairman certificate I mentioned can only be issued to one person who was envolved with the original building of the airplane. Even if it meets LSA requirements a LSRI or LSRM can not perform the condition inspection.

Also worth noting is that a Sport Pilot can not perform preventive maintenance on a standard category airplane, even though they can fly it if it meets LSA requirements.

3Dreaming wrote:61.313 separates the different type of aircraft into categories, not classes.

Yes, but FAA also talks about different LSA categories.

Light-sport Aircraft Category

A Light-sport Aircraft (LSA) category special airworthiness certificate is issued to operate an aircraft that:
Has not been previously issued an airworthiness certificate or an equivalent airworthiness certificate issued by the U.S. or a foreign civil aviation authority,
Is in a condition for safe operation,
Was built and tested to the applicable consensus standards by the aircraft’s manufacturer, and
Possesses the manufacturer’s statement of compliance.
Aircraft classes meeting the definition of Light Sport Aircraft contained in 14 CFR 1.1 that are eligible for LSA category special airworthiness certificates are:
Airplanes,
Gliders,
Powered parachutes,
Weight-shift-control aircraft (commonly called trikes), and
Lighter-than-air aircraft (balloons and airships) .

Reference: https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/a ... ght_sport/

drseti wrote:

3Dreaming wrote:61.313 separates the different type of aircraft into categories, not classes.

Yes, but FAA also talks about different LSA categories.

Light-sport Aircraft Category

A Light-sport Aircraft (LSA) category special airworthiness certificate is issued to operate an aircraft that:
Has not been previously issued an airworthiness certificate or an equivalent airworthiness certificate issued by the U.S. or a foreign civil aviation authority,
Is in a condition for safe operation,
Was built and tested to the applicable consensus standards by the aircraft’s manufacturer, and
Possesses the manufacturer’s statement of compliance.
Aircraft classes meeting the definition of Light Sport Aircraft contained in 14 CFR 1.1 that are eligible for LSA category special airworthiness certificates are:
Airplanes,
Gliders,
Powered parachutes,
Weight-shift-control aircraft (commonly called trikes), and
Lighter-than-air aircraft (balloons and airships) .

Reference: https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/a ... ght_sport/

Since you said "a sport pilot can only fly" I thought we were talking about pilot privileges. What I said pertains to pilot privileges. You are trying to make what you said right by going to aircraft certification. Category and class have always had different meanings between the two.