Sport Pilot Talk

To start off I only have a Private Pilot Glider rating, I have approximately 300+ hours and I own an ASW-15 sailplane. No additional ratings yet. If I choose to go the sport pilot route to fly powered aircraft I'm curious whether the FAA written and practical tests are required. Reading through CFR 61.321 and the Sport Pilot FAQ's on the AOPA website seem to indicate that the written and practical test with a DPE is not required in my case. Instead it looks like I need a logbook endorsement from a CFI and then perform a proficiency check with a separate CFI, fill out paperwork and send to the FAA, make an additional logbook endorsement that I passed the proficiency check and then good to go to fly LSA.

Am I reading the CFR correctly or is there something I am missing?

Yes you are. Finding a pair of instructors who know the process and who are willing to do it might be difficult.

I wanted to go the other way. I am a commercial ASEL, CFI. I joined the local glider club with my son and wanted to do a sport pilot glider add on in the clubs ASK-13. The main reason was because there are no examiners in our FSDO area. How ever the club has 2 instructors.

I wound up doing a commercial add on when an examiner was visiting for a vintage glider meet. I am looking to add the glider CFI in the future.

Your understanding is correct, Alex. For a detailed summary of the process, see my free EAA Webinar "Category and Class: adding privileges under Sport Pilot rules," available online at:
http://www.eaavideo.org/detail/video/3830218310001

I did a Sport Pilot ASES endorsement on my Commercial with two instructors at Jack Brown's Seaplane Base, as did Paul. You just have to find a place with the plane you want to fly and the instructors available. That's a great way to go as long as the Sport Pilot privileges and limitations work for you.