Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:00 pm
For those of you who might not be familiar, a few years ago the FAA defined a new class of aircraft - the Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA). The idea was to make it easier and cheaper to build and sell aircraft, and to hopefully expand the pilot population by making a simpler pilot type - the Light Sport pilot. Plus, no medical would be required.
I bought a Light Sport aircraft - a 3i Sky Arrow. It’s been great, but there’s been one headache: though they’re simpler planes for the most part, owner maintenance is even more limited than with a normal plane. There are two related issues:
1) The manufacturer decides what level of training is required to perform each operation. In an abundance of caution, the AMM for my plane requires an LSA Maintenance Certificate or better to do nearly everything allowed under Part 43 for certified airplanes. Even changing the battery, changing a tire or changing the oil were not allowed without certification.
2) There is zero latitude in replacement parts - any deviation from the parts supplied on the plane require permission from the factory. Again, you can’t even substitute an equivalent tire or battery - a real pain, especially since FIAMM batteries are hard to come by in this country.
My annual was due this month. For the last two years Karen and I got the plane to Sebring, where Lockwood is a well-respected maintenance shop. This year, I decided to bite the bullet and “downgrade” my plane to an E-LSA (EXPERIMENTAL - Light Sport Aircraft).
I spent last week preparing the plane, and last Thursday a DAR drove up and assisted me in the final inspection required to convert the plane to Experimental. It also served as the “annual” inspection, so I’m good until Dec, 2010.
The upsides are that I can now work on my plane in any way I want. I can modify it any way I want. It's as if I had built it, but the 51% rule does not apply since it was factory built. I’m scheduled to take a 16-hour “Light Sport Inspection” course, and after successfully completing that I’ll be able to do the annuals myself as well.
Downsides? The plane cannot be used for flight instruction or rental, but I had no intention of doing so anyway. The plane my have lost a little value, since a potential buyer would have fewer options - once Experimental, there’s no going back to “Special”. Then again, with a lower hull value, I may save a little in premiums going forward.
And then, passengers may balk a little at the new decal and warnings:
But that’s their problem!
One reason I liked the Sky Arrow was that, unlike many of their competitors, they had been around for a LONG time - here's their insignia:
But now the company is struggling, and in some Italian version of bankruptcy. They still support the Sky Arrow, but if they ever did go belly-up, Experimental would be the only way to stay in the air.
Anyway, new Odyssey battery goes in tomorrow and if all goes well I’ll be doing the post-maintenance test flight tomorrow.
I bought a Light Sport aircraft - a 3i Sky Arrow. It’s been great, but there’s been one headache: though they’re simpler planes for the most part, owner maintenance is even more limited than with a normal plane. There are two related issues:
1) The manufacturer decides what level of training is required to perform each operation. In an abundance of caution, the AMM for my plane requires an LSA Maintenance Certificate or better to do nearly everything allowed under Part 43 for certified airplanes. Even changing the battery, changing a tire or changing the oil were not allowed without certification.
2) There is zero latitude in replacement parts - any deviation from the parts supplied on the plane require permission from the factory. Again, you can’t even substitute an equivalent tire or battery - a real pain, especially since FIAMM batteries are hard to come by in this country.
My annual was due this month. For the last two years Karen and I got the plane to Sebring, where Lockwood is a well-respected maintenance shop. This year, I decided to bite the bullet and “downgrade” my plane to an E-LSA (EXPERIMENTAL - Light Sport Aircraft).
I spent last week preparing the plane, and last Thursday a DAR drove up and assisted me in the final inspection required to convert the plane to Experimental. It also served as the “annual” inspection, so I’m good until Dec, 2010.
The upsides are that I can now work on my plane in any way I want. I can modify it any way I want. It's as if I had built it, but the 51% rule does not apply since it was factory built. I’m scheduled to take a 16-hour “Light Sport Inspection” course, and after successfully completing that I’ll be able to do the annuals myself as well.
Downsides? The plane cannot be used for flight instruction or rental, but I had no intention of doing so anyway. The plane my have lost a little value, since a potential buyer would have fewer options - once Experimental, there’s no going back to “Special”. Then again, with a lower hull value, I may save a little in premiums going forward.
And then, passengers may balk a little at the new decal and warnings:
But that’s their problem!
One reason I liked the Sky Arrow was that, unlike many of their competitors, they had been around for a LONG time - here's their insignia:
But now the company is struggling, and in some Italian version of bankruptcy. They still support the Sky Arrow, but if they ever did go belly-up, Experimental would be the only way to stay in the air.
Anyway, new Odyssey battery goes in tomorrow and if all goes well I’ll be doing the post-maintenance test flight tomorrow.