Sport Pilot Talk

In reality it means that there will be virtually no new UL pilots

Alex, I strongly suspect this is not an unintended consequence, but rather an objective of FAA all along. Part 103 was not very popular with the higher-ups. They couldn't kill it, but they could improve it out of existence.

"....Add that to the alarming dropping number of new pilots each year....the last "hey-day" for GA was in 1980...and after that, all hell broke loose and we're now down to around the same number of active pilots that we had during the early 1940s..something of like 300-400k. GA will NEVER recover until something is done about costs....

The more each day goes by, I wonder...are the good times really over? They are in Europe...good luck flying over there. Heck, even Australia, land of the outback, has killed aviation. We're the last breed here in the US...we need to stick together. Frankly, I'm just shocked at the number of new pilots each year....and don't get me started on the age bracket of when people start flying....it just does not look good at all for GA in the future."


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I used to fly hang-gliders in the 70s.
Had some informal hours at controls of friends' GA aircraft.

With the comming of the Sport Pilot rule thought that was my doorway into flying. For many of the reasons others listed here, it wasn't.
For example, after 5-hours dual CFI time at a LSA training center I had to travel 600 miles to get to and pay for lodging realized that the "$3500" typical estimate was going to be a LOT more than that. Also realized that after I got back home to near Medford, OR I would have a useless certification as within 150 miles of me there's not a single LSA available for rent nor any flying club with an LSA. So unless I purchased an LSA (read "have $15,00 to $120,000 in lose change sitting around") I'd never fly.

So I decided to investigate flying Ultralight 103.
Lots of aircraft available.
Fewer than before because some of the fat ultralights have been N-numbered as LSA's but still plenty.

Some are fat illegal ULs, which if purchased leaves the pilot in a pretty awkward place.
But even ignoring that, the bigger problem in that now, since LSA rules, it's impossible to get UL training.
No more Basic Flight instructors, no more two seat UL trainers.

There USED to be about 6 ultralight instructors in this area. One could get UL training in a two-seater for about $50 per hour total cost (plane plus instructor. 10 hours was usually OK to get you to the point where you could safely land and fly and know not to fly a lefthand pattern into a right-hand-pattern-airstrip, etc.

They all found the option of getting their two seater ElSA certified and getting a Sport Pilot CFI certification too onerous and dropped out. Particularly after they discovered that despite doing that after Jan 2010 their ELSA could no longer be used for training anyway.

So, not a single possibility, at ANY hourly price exists for UL training within hundreds of miles of here.
Legally anyone can buy a part 103 new or used UL, strap into it, and take off with no training whatever.
In reality it means that there will be virtually no new UL pilots (and did you know that per my contact at EAA as many as 2000 of the approximately 4000 present sport pilots are UL pilots who got their experience on ULs and got their time grandfathered into credit toward their Sport Pilot training?) except maybe a few skilled or stupid enough to strap into a UL with no training?

As I said, whatever the pros and cons of Sport Pilot, it has seriously impacted UL flying a low cost high availability route into flying. Doubt we will ever again see the robust UL activity we saw in the 90's.

Had I in 2005 seen the handwriting on the wall I'd have gotten my UL training then before the door slammed shut.

On net it appears to me that LSA failed to open the door to more pilots and, given that it has virtually shut the door on UL, has actually reduced accessibility. The main beneficiaries are the many private pilots I know of who use the Sport Pilot rule to be able to continue flying when they are concerned about passing their medical. Most of those are actually safe pilots, but in a few cases I'm sure it will mean that someone who medically really should NOT be flying is flying. Yet another unintended negative consequence of the Sport Pilot certification.

Classic case, IMO, or a will intended initiative gone wrong because of the devil-is-in-the-details principle.

My two cents.
Alex

"ahh your looking at 8K" I would say "see ya."

I'll agree with that, entirely. I'm a college student, and typical college students really do some crazy/stupid things. I've got friends who say "sure, I'll go". The minute you give them a time to show up at the airport, they ALWAYS have some excuse.

if I were to read the club rules by the letter, the 12hrs can't be averaged.

5. Any renter renting AvSport aircraft for a full day or longer will be charged for a minimum of 3 hours of flight time per day.

what's "PPC?"

There are several ppc's out there with 503's that still make weight. Of course you are bound by the rules of 103, but for getting out and piddling around your area (which I like) then it should fit the bill just fine. .......

..........You can still be trained in an e-lsa. It happpens everyday. Challenger II training, PPC training, etc. I believe you're supposed to have a LODA, but they still train without.

The only way I'll be able to afford an LSA is if I build a kit, which I plan on doing. I know I can finance the aircraft, but to be honest I would much rather own the aircraft outright, that'll cut down on the cost of it and I won't feel pressured to make payment on it every month.

It does suck that SP has killed UL. flying a UL does look like fun. One of the problems I'm seeing right now with SP is lack of rental fleet.