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Sport Pilot

Old 11-22-2004, 10:59 AM
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acropilot_ty
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Default Sport Pilot

The FAA has finally done something to make learning to fly "less" expensive. There is a new type of license called "sport pilot". This license can be attained in half the time it takes to get a private pilots license. The requirements are as follows for fixed wing aircraft; 20 hours flight time, of which at least 15 hours must be flight training recieved, and 5 hours of which must be solo. 2 hours cross country training, 10 takeoffs and landings which must include a full traffic pattern, one solo cross country of at least 75 miles, and 3 hours of training in the previous 60 days before the checkride. You no longer need a medical certificate, your drivers license serves as your medical. However, if you have ever failed an FAA medical then you can not use your drivers license in place of an faa medical. Compared to the Private Pilot the 3 hours night is gone, the 3 hours simulated instrument are gone, one of the solo cross countries is gone... and 20 hours of total flight time required is gone... The thing that makes this possible is the type of aircraft that sport pilots are allowed to fly. They must be light and reallatively slow making them safer and easier to fly. The maximum gross weight of a light sport aircraft, LSA, is 1320 Lb, max level flight speed can not exceed 120 Knots, and stall speed can be no higher then 45 knots. You can learn all about this new license at this website; http://www.sportpilot.org/

I'm sure there will be a lot of modelers out there pleased to learn that they can finally learn to fly full scale without breaking the bank... and they'll probably do it in a J-3 Cub, or an Aeronca Champ or some other cool airplane that fits into the LSA category rather then a boring old Cessna. As a full time flight instructor I'm excited that I'll get to teach people to fly without having to get bogged down with all the radios and navaids...

Ty
Old 11-22-2004, 12:21 PM
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FLYBOY
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Default RE: Sport Pilot

We've talked about this rating a little on here. Not much though. Waste of time as far as I am concerned. It will lead to a lot more pilots being in the air that don't understand the nav systems, don't know how to communicate, and will get themselves in all kinds of trouble. Just my 2 cents on it.

We discussed this at a meeting the other day and many are still convinced that it is the framework for the FAA to get control of the lighter birds down the road that they now don't regulate like ultralights. The framework for that is in the works with the towing of hangliders from what I understand.

Might be a cheaper way to get a licence to fly around, but like anything else done cheaper and half way, you end up with inferior outcomes and more problems in the long run.
Old 11-22-2004, 07:05 PM
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SloFlight-RCU
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Default RE: Sport Pilot

Hey Ty, does this mean that with a renewed FAA Exam Cert, a CrossCountry and a few hours with ya (and of course re-creating my Log Book) I could get my SP Licence?


P.S. I emailed you a couple months ago & never heard anything back. I'm actually out in LA at the moment (actually Calabasas) interviewing for Chad's old Job (I'll be working for Chad). If I get hired on, I'll be spending a couple weeks in January out in SanDiego...would be nice to get together & fly if there was time.

Anyway, call me...you gots my #

Peace,

Micah
Old 11-23-2004, 11:15 AM
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acropilot_ty
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I disagree on this one, Micah and I learned to fly in Alaska, both of us became student pilots quickly and flew solo without being in a big hurry to get the private out of the way since we were kids with no money. So long as we were flying light aircraft during the day in good weather I don't see any reason that we shouldn't be able to stop right there and add the right to take "one" passenger. The big issue is cost... In southern California it costs about $10,000 to get a PPL in a 172. With sport pilot that cost could easily be cut in half. The training wouldn't change a bit, it would just stop about 2/3 way through and we'd say "now don't fly at night, and don't fly in bad weather". Micah, Get your butt down here and come flying, we don't have a legal sport plane yet, but I'm getting a J-3 next month so yes we can get you your Licence real quick, and Chad Too. We're all family for those that are wondering. A couple months ago I was in El Reno, OK practicing for the national aerobatic championships... 4 pilots prepping for the biggest contest in the US all of us flying Advanced or Unlimited in Edge's, Extra's, And Giles... We practice over the grass strip right next to the main runway there as low as 100 meters in altitude doing all sorts of wild things, between flights along comes a Champ and starts doing touch and goes on the grass, It sparks a conversation of learning to fly that reveals that we all had similar backgrounds flying planes with less then 100 hp off of grass at uncontrolled airports... many stories I can not share involving general "bending" of the rules, mostly because we couldn't afford to get a full blown PPL... My feeling is that this will bring safe training to the light aircraft and ultralights that is much needed, and it will make learning to fly cheaper for people that just want to fly VFR in a Cub with the doors open... there's a lot more of them out there then you may think.

Ty
Old 11-24-2004, 01:17 AM
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Default RE: Sport Pilot

Is this Ty out of Sunrise??

-Brett
Old 11-24-2004, 11:40 AM
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This is Ty from Sunrise... It all started with models and flight sims, so I continue to visit this site and chime in now and again. I know a lot of Bretts, but from your website I'm guessing you are the Brett I met at Paso Robles. You've got some very impressive formation shots (sim) on that site!! looks like fun. I teach formation in Decathlons, but the most exciting manuever is a re-join... the sims are great for formation aerobatics without the risk.

Ty
Old 11-24-2004, 02:16 PM
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Default RE: Sport Pilot

Hello!

I guess I am getting off topic here, but anyway:

Yeah, I'm the Brett you met at Paso, good memory! How are things going? I ended up going back up north to Davis so the trek to Sunrise is a little too long for the time being, but I'm keeping you guys in mind for when I head back down this summer. The FAA isn't in any hurry to renew our box at TCY but we've still got New J, and it's actually quite a fun place to fly, and the airport is pretty much ours so critique sessions are pretty efficient once I get the plane over there from LVK. The weather has been pretty murky, so I'm hurting for some G's!

The site of mine I think you looked at is old, from 98-99. . .
If you are into sims too check out the UBISoft/1C/Maddox Games WWII combat sim "IL-2 Strumovik-ForgottenBattles" and the recently released "Pacific Fighters". While the flight models aren't going to remind you too much of your real world aerobatics they are about as good as it gets for acro in a sim. Snap rolls, knife edge, spins, even some tumbles, and depending on the patch version, tailslides are also fairly well done (hammers need work getting the pivot to extend to the downline, and spins take a few rotations to recover no matter what). But what is really great about the sim is how the great FM, damage model, atmospheric effects etc. coupled with the smooth online capability all come together really well for the purpose of formation aerobatics, even if your not into the combat aspects of the sim. I am a member of the first sponsored team the "Virtual Haute-Voltige Team" and fly as a reserve pilot in aircraft #4, first slot. We do live demonstrations at the FAI Aerobatics Grand-Prix and Airshows using a large "Jumbo-Tron" type TV, and of course online sim events. Of course being a WWII sim there are no Sukhois, Pitts or Extras, instead we fly the Focke-Wulf 190 A5 in Su31-like paint. The team is otherwise all Italian, but made an exception for me which I really appreciate, as they are excellent virtual pilots! I do have a few stateside virtual pilot friends but not enough to really have a solid formation group. I would love to see more real world (RC included) aerobatic pilots in that community as the developer is interested in what the team does, and is receptive to feedback he gets from the community, he is always working on increasing FM fidelity as he is able and more people who voice interest in aerobatic FM fidelity the better!

Here is the VHVT page: http://www.haute-voltige.com/virtualHVteam/home.htm

I'll probably be seeing you when the contests kick up again!


-Brett
Old 11-24-2004, 10:00 PM
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That is VERY cool... I don't know if my computer is fast enough for online formation, but I need to look into it. Hey send me an email [email protected] I'd love to figure out how to get that formation sim flight going.

Ty

By the way, things are going great, I got to fly an Edge at nationals so I've got a smile that'll take several months to wear off!!
Old 11-28-2004, 11:50 PM
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Default RE: Sport Pilot

Hey Ty................I was reading your thread here, and had a question. I am 22 years old and have always loved aviation. Just now getting the chance to fly. I have 8.9 hours in a cessna 172 and a student pilot, soled at 7. Got expensive and started flying ultralights this last summer, and as well have about 20 hrs. in a registered ultralight trainer. Can this time be used toward my sport pilot??? I know a 172 is heaveir than legal, but I think the basics of flight would count.. Thanks
Old 12-01-2004, 10:26 AM
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Ty? How can it cost $10,000 to get a private licence? What do they charge an hour for the plane and instruction? Just curious. You can rent a brand new 172 here for $86 an hour wet and its $25 an hour for instruction. Even with 50 hours your still under $5000 for the rating. Can't see that they can charge double that for a 172 and training down there. If they do, maybe I should be leasing planes back to the schools there.

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