RE: Sport Pilot
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