One huge advantage of the sport pilot certificate is the option of being your own mechanic. You get an experimental light-sport aircraft, either by building one from plans or a kit, or by using paperwork to convert your factory built plane into an experimental category plane. You take a 16-hour FAA-accepted course, and you can repair your own aircraft.
I read this off the sport pilot web site. Any one know how I go about converting my champ to expermental? And, where? when this 16 hour course is.
Sport plane mechanic
Sport plane mechanic
Earl
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zero.one.victor
- Posts: 51
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- Location: Port Townsend, WA
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I'm not so sure that it works quite this way. If you build an experimental, as long as it's a 51% ameteur built airplane-- sure,you built it, you get the repairman's certificate, and you can do the required condition inspections (annuals) and repair work. Doesn't matter if it's LSA-compliant or not.
A ready-to-fly airplane, or one built from an "advanced kit" (less than 51% amateur built),can be certificated as an LSA. However, the factory must have first certified a prototype as an LSA, and must have met the FAA's ASTM materials certification standards.
The repairman and inspector courses are (I believe) something the manufacturer has to offer or certify also, at least in some cases. I think itf it's a certificated airplane, such as a Champ, you'll still need an IA for annuals & an A&P for repairs. I also think that it's not a slam dunk to just declare your certificated airplane "experimental" and start doing it all your self. I wish it was that easy, I'd be right behind you.
I am intrigued by these aspects of the LSA/SP program also. But so far it's not been made real clear, at least to me. It's been a year now that the LSA/SP rules have been in effect, I hope they get everything hashed out & publish some good solid info we can go on soon. I asked a friend who's an FAA operations inspector if the FAA had some handouts such as an advisory circular about this, and about getting my CFI-SP ticket. He suggested contacting the EAA-- so much for official guidelines, eh?
Eric
A ready-to-fly airplane, or one built from an "advanced kit" (less than 51% amateur built),can be certificated as an LSA. However, the factory must have first certified a prototype as an LSA, and must have met the FAA's ASTM materials certification standards.
The repairman and inspector courses are (I believe) something the manufacturer has to offer or certify also, at least in some cases. I think itf it's a certificated airplane, such as a Champ, you'll still need an IA for annuals & an A&P for repairs. I also think that it's not a slam dunk to just declare your certificated airplane "experimental" and start doing it all your self. I wish it was that easy, I'd be right behind you.
I am intrigued by these aspects of the LSA/SP program also. But so far it's not been made real clear, at least to me. It's been a year now that the LSA/SP rules have been in effect, I hope they get everything hashed out & publish some good solid info we can go on soon. I asked a friend who's an FAA operations inspector if the FAA had some handouts such as an advisory circular about this, and about getting my CFI-SP ticket. He suggested contacting the EAA-- so much for official guidelines, eh?
Eric
-
zero.one.victor
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 13:55
- Location: Port Townsend, WA
- Contact:
From the EAA Sport Pilot Sourcebook:
"Inspection rating: This rating allows you to conduct the annual condition inspection on your own E-LSA. It requires the sucessful completion of an FAA-accepted 16 hour course on the inspection of your particular class of LSA.
Maintenance Rating: This commercial rating allows you to perform the annual condition inspection on S-LSA'a and E-LSA's for compensation. It requires the completion of a course on the maintenance requirements of various light-sport aircraft (airplanes:120 hours,weight shift & powered parachutes :104 hours,gliders & lighter than air:80 hours). What repairs and maintenance you can perform are specifically authorized in the aircraft manufacturer's maintenance manual."
From an aricle in the Aug 2005 issue of EAA Sport Pilot magazine, "One Year Later":
"In the SP/LSA rule, the FAA created two new reapirman ratings: light-sport repairman with an inspection rating,& light-sport reapirman with a maintenance rating. The LS-I rating allows private owners to conduct the annual condition inspection on their aircraft. To obtain this rating, the owner must complete a 16-hour, FAA-approved training course.Currently the FAA has approved two such training courses- one operated uncer the EAA SportAir workshops banner ... and a second developed by Rainbow Aviation Services. More providers of this course are needed also.
The LS-M rating allows an individual to do the maintenance & the annual condition inspection on any E-LSA and/or S-LSA.........
Currently no one is offering an LS-M course, which creates a hardship for anyone interested in obtraining this rating, and for owners seeking maintenance or inspection of their S-LSA. For now S-LSA can only be maintained & inspected by an A&P mechanic or authorized FAA repair station."
Clear as mud, eh? I hope this aspect of things gets more squared away, this is something that can really make or break the popularity of the new SP/LSA program.
Regarding conversion of an existing certificated airplane (such as a Champ) to an E-LSA-- ain't gonna happen, the way I read it. Conversion to E-LSA is intended for bringing the existing 2 place ultralight trainers ("fat ultralights") into the real (N-numbered) airplane jurisdiction. Doesn't apply to factory-built certificated aircraft.
The non-LSA experimental types I'm aware of are
1) experimental-amateur built. This would include stuff like Kitfoxes, RV's, etc, as well as homebuilt copies of factory airplanes such as WagAero Cubbies, etc, all built under the so-called 51% rule.
2) experimental-exhibition: a lotta factory-built stuff falls under this category. Mostly warbirds and/or foreign built aircraft that isn't US-certificated (Antonov AN-2 for example)
3) experimental- R&D. Good example would be a Champ converted to say a Allison turboprop (wow!) for the purpose of developing an STC. My understanding is that these types of experimental certificates are time-limited-- when the time's up, either get the STC approved,convert back to an approved configuration, or keep it on the ground.
I believe that if you re-built a Champ from the ground up, you could (maybe) get it registered as an experimental. Not too sure which hoops you have to jump thru to get this done, though. You might want to check out the supercub.org website, they have a whole forum devoted to experimental Cubs.
Oh, this is all IMHO of course, no guarantees on accuracy- it's just my take on the situation.
Eric
"Inspection rating: This rating allows you to conduct the annual condition inspection on your own E-LSA. It requires the sucessful completion of an FAA-accepted 16 hour course on the inspection of your particular class of LSA.
Maintenance Rating: This commercial rating allows you to perform the annual condition inspection on S-LSA'a and E-LSA's for compensation. It requires the completion of a course on the maintenance requirements of various light-sport aircraft (airplanes:120 hours,weight shift & powered parachutes :104 hours,gliders & lighter than air:80 hours). What repairs and maintenance you can perform are specifically authorized in the aircraft manufacturer's maintenance manual."
From an aricle in the Aug 2005 issue of EAA Sport Pilot magazine, "One Year Later":
"In the SP/LSA rule, the FAA created two new reapirman ratings: light-sport repairman with an inspection rating,& light-sport reapirman with a maintenance rating. The LS-I rating allows private owners to conduct the annual condition inspection on their aircraft. To obtain this rating, the owner must complete a 16-hour, FAA-approved training course.Currently the FAA has approved two such training courses- one operated uncer the EAA SportAir workshops banner ... and a second developed by Rainbow Aviation Services. More providers of this course are needed also.
The LS-M rating allows an individual to do the maintenance & the annual condition inspection on any E-LSA and/or S-LSA.........
Currently no one is offering an LS-M course, which creates a hardship for anyone interested in obtraining this rating, and for owners seeking maintenance or inspection of their S-LSA. For now S-LSA can only be maintained & inspected by an A&P mechanic or authorized FAA repair station."
Clear as mud, eh? I hope this aspect of things gets more squared away, this is something that can really make or break the popularity of the new SP/LSA program.
Regarding conversion of an existing certificated airplane (such as a Champ) to an E-LSA-- ain't gonna happen, the way I read it. Conversion to E-LSA is intended for bringing the existing 2 place ultralight trainers ("fat ultralights") into the real (N-numbered) airplane jurisdiction. Doesn't apply to factory-built certificated aircraft.
The non-LSA experimental types I'm aware of are
1) experimental-amateur built. This would include stuff like Kitfoxes, RV's, etc, as well as homebuilt copies of factory airplanes such as WagAero Cubbies, etc, all built under the so-called 51% rule.
2) experimental-exhibition: a lotta factory-built stuff falls under this category. Mostly warbirds and/or foreign built aircraft that isn't US-certificated (Antonov AN-2 for example)
3) experimental- R&D. Good example would be a Champ converted to say a Allison turboprop (wow!) for the purpose of developing an STC. My understanding is that these types of experimental certificates are time-limited-- when the time's up, either get the STC approved,convert back to an approved configuration, or keep it on the ground.
I believe that if you re-built a Champ from the ground up, you could (maybe) get it registered as an experimental. Not too sure which hoops you have to jump thru to get this done, though. You might want to check out the supercub.org website, they have a whole forum devoted to experimental Cubs.
Oh, this is all IMHO of course, no guarantees on accuracy- it's just my take on the situation.
Eric