Sport Pilot Is Here
LONG-AWAITED SPORT PILOT RULE ANNOUNCED;
AOPA WELCOMES NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR RECREATIONAL FLYING
July 23 - FAA Administrator Marion Blakey
officially unveiled the long-awaited Sport Pilot and Light Sport
Aircraft rule that will allow many pilots to fly with a valid driver’s
license in lieu of a medical certificate and create new, less-expensive
ways to become a pilot.
“The promise of the Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft rule is that it
could swell the ranks of current active GA pilots,” Boyer continued,
“bringing lapsed pilots back into the fold and drawing new pilots into
the aviation community.”
From the beginning of this nine-year process, AOPA pushed hard for a
driver’s license medical standard that would allow already-certificated
pilots to fly light sport aircraft immediately – and many of the
provisions that AOPA had sought are included in the final rule. These
include the provision that, beginning September 1, 2004, rather than
waiting several years as some in the industry had proposed, pilots who
qualify will be able to act as light sport pilots using a current valid
driver’s license.
“It was important to AOPA that our members who love and support general
aviation, but have let their medical certification lapse, be able to fly
again,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer. “That’s why we asked the FAA to
make the rule effective quickly, and they responded.”
Pilots who hold a recreational certificate or better, but whose standard
or special issuance medical certificate has lapsed, will be able to fly
under sport pilot rules with a valid driver’s license and a
self-certification that they are medically fit to fly. Pilots whose
medical has been revoked, suspended, or denied will need further review
by the FAA and could be required to obtain a special issuance, and often
lengthy and costly process.
Certificated pilots who hold a valid driver’s license and whose medical
has not been suspended or revoked will be able to fly many familiar
certificated airplanes, including Piper J-2 and J-3 Cubs and models from
Luscombe, Taylorcraft, and Ercoupe when the rule becomes effective
September 1st.
The rule has been, literally, years in the making, and only the
dedicated efforts of organizations like the Experimental Aircraft
Association (EAA), which has made sport pilot regulation its sole focus,
have made it possible.
“Organizations like EAA and AOPA recognize that anything that makes
general aviation accessible to more people is good for all pilots,”
Boyer said. “This rule invites old friends to get back into the air
while creating opportunities for more people to pursue their dreams of
flight for the first time.”
The rule also creates a new class of light sport aircraft that will
include both kit airplanes and yet-to-be-certified models. The FAA
estimates that light sport aircraft will be available for “about the
price of a new car,” but because the class includes powered parachutes
and two-place ultralights, that figure may not realistically represent
the cost a more traditional airplane. Even so, new aircraft should be
less expensive than many models now available, and with that lower cost
will come lower operating and maintenance expenses.
And the rule creates a more affordable avenue for learning to fly,
requiring a minimum of 20 hours of flight time to earn a sport pilot
certificate. While experience suggests that the certificate may take
closer to 30 or 35 hours to earn, the standard still represents a
significant cost savings over the average time of nearly 70 hours to
earn a private pilot certificate.
Although the new rule defines pilot and aircraft certification
requirements, it also raises a host of new questions that will require
interpretation as the FAA moves toward implementing the new rule and
then gains real-world experience with it.
“AOPA’s staff of full-time medical and technical experts will remain in
continuous contact with the FAA to ensure that our members get accurate
answers to all their questions as they take advantage of this new rule,”
Boyer said.
AOPA has a number of resources available to help understand the Sport
Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft rule. A Web page explains both the rule
itself and AOPA’s position (http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/regulatory/sport_links.html).
In addition, AOPA medical certification and aviation technical services
staff are studying the final rule (which is 452 pages long) and will be
able to address pilots’ questions. To draw on AOPA’s expertise, contact
the AOPA Media Relations office at (301) 659-2162.
www.aopa.org |
