Sport Pilot Talk

Called the DPE yesterday. Based on the forecasted winds for today, I decided to reschedule. He thought I made a good choice. Scheduled for next Thursday but I'm to call him Monday and see if we can make it earlier depending on the weather.

So I haven't posted in a while. Needless to say I have not had my check ride. It was scheduled for last Monday. The DPE flew to Long Island from CT. We were going over my paperwork(my logbook and the plane's logbooks) and noticed an apparent gap in my training. I won't go into details but that was the end of that. The gap was corrected and we were going to try again last Friday but weather didn't cooperate. It was supposed to be today but rain and low ceilings are preventing it. Going to try again on Thursday. The weather for the next several days sucks as in rain and/or wind. And it ain't getting any warmer. The Zenith is a bit drafty and I'm not sure how cold is too cold to fly yet.

Thanks for the post. Not meaning to pressure you, but it would be instructional to others if you're willing to share what the gap in your training was, so they can avoid it.
Hang in there - wx has to get better at some point!

Just read through this entire post, a good read and informative. I hope all goes well for you. Looking to get myself a Sport plane as well, but may wait until after I have my sport ticket. At least right now weather in Cincinnati and work would not allow me to fly much more than I am already anyhow.

Keep us updated as this has been very good info.

eyeflygps wrote:

drseti wrote:Thanks for the post. Not meaning to pressure you, but it would be instructional to others if you're willing to share what the gap in your training was, so they can avoid it.
Hang in there - wx has to get better at some point!

I'm guessing instrument training prior to solo X-Country. That seems to be the one thing that's required but not spelled out in the Sport Pilot requirements.

There is also the speed endorsements( <> 87kts) for the solo student, and not logging any ground instruction are two others that sometimes get missed.

eyeflygps wrote:

drseti wrote:I'm guessing instrument training prior to solo X-Country. That seems to be the one thing that's required but not spelled out in the Sport Pilot requirements.

Not sure what you mean by "instrument training". Instrument navigation is not required (other than a compass). I did my cross country entirely by pilotage and dead reckoning. The airplane had a GPS dock, but the GPS was not installed for the flight.

As for instrument training for upset/attitude recovery, that is also not required. That can all be done visually.

If either of the above were requirements for a Sport Pilot, then aircraft like a NORDO J3 Cub could not be used for training or checkrides.

MrMorden wrote:

eyeflygps wrote:

drseti wrote:I'm guessing instrument training prior to solo X-Country. That seems to be the one thing that's required but not spelled out in the Sport Pilot requirements.

Not sure what you mean by "instrument training". Instrument navigation is not required (other than a compass). I did my cross country entirely by pilotage and dead reckoning. The airplane had a GPS dock, but the GPS was not installed for the flight.

As for instrument training for upset/attitude recovery, that is also not required. That can all be done visually.

If either of the above were requirements for a Sport Pilot, then aircraft like a NORDO J3 Cub could not be used for training or checkrides.

61.93, (e), (12) Control and maneuvering solely by reference to flight instruments, including straight and level flight, turns, descents, climbs, use of radio aids, and ATC directives. For student pilots seeking a sport pilot certificate, the provisions of this paragraph only apply when receiving training for cross-country flight in an airplane that has a VH greater than 87 knots CAS.

Andy, this provision went into effect in 2010, and is listed as a student pilot requirement.

Well, it's been years in the making, and lately I was wondering if it was going to even happen. But today I reached a life long dream and got my sport pilot license. Test went pretty much as I expected, even learned a few things. Now to work on my airspace endorsement and when Spring arrives I'll be ready to buzz around. And if the weather cooperates I'll buzz around in the Winter too.

Congratulations to the world's newest lisensed pilot! We're all proud of you.

See...we told you so!

Good feeling, isn't it!

Congratulations RC.
March on!

Congrats, how did the checkride go?

Congrats! I have checking this post waiting to hear the good news! I was getting frustrated reading about the set backs, etc.

PJ

pjdavis wrote: .....I was getting frustrated reading about the set backs, etc.

PJ

Yeah, imagine how I felt. Thanks. Even the DPE said my delays are on my instructor so he and I are going to have a long talk.

joey4420 wrote:Congrats, how did the checkride go?

It went pretty well. More or less what I expected. A few things did come up that I really hadn't done in training. Oral was pretty straight forward not too many weather questions and he did hit some things that my instructor had beat into my head. For flying we started the planned x-country then he had me do a diversion and I had to use the sectional to figure out how to get there(me made me turn my GPS off). Steep turns, power on/off stalls, slow flight, turns around a point, engine out, short/soft field takeoffs and landings, go around, and for my last landing he had me touchdown in a spot about a third down the runway. It was a good learning experience. Now as soon as the weather cooperates I'm looking to my first solo flight as a sport pilot.