The Gyrobee and SP/LSA

[Ralph]

The Gyrobee obviously meets the new Sport Pilot (SP) definition for Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). As such, if you choose to do so, you should be able to:

(1) Transfer an existing Bee from Part 103 to the new Experimental LSA classification.

(2) Build a new Bee (from plans or kit) and register it in the ELSA category.

A quick read of the SP rules indicates that the FAA will want to see the "manufacturers" assembly instructions in the case of kit projects. The Gyrobee Documentation package will meet this requirement.

Why bother with SP/LSA? Well, there are a couple of reasons you might want to consider the extra hassle in comparison to staying within Part 103:

(1) Having a "real" N-number will certainly help if you are having problems with airport access.

(2) Ditto the above because you will also have a "real" FAA-granted pilot certificate.

(3) Both of the above may actually make it possible to get liability and maybe even hull insurance.

(4) You don't have to get paranoid about every last ounce of weight, so prerotators and brakes become more viable. It is important however not to use LSA as an excuse to load up the airframe. The performance and stability of the Bee are based on a relatively light airframe and low disc loading. If you get carried away adding "stuff", you will end up with the typical over-weight/under-powered gyro that gave ultralights a bad name!

Is it worth the additional regulatory burden to go with SP/LSA instead of Part 103? I honestly don't know. Don and I will be building a new Gyrobee this summer using a StarBee kit. I don't know which way we will go and expect that a good portion of our traveling time to and from Mentone will be devoted to that very topic. While there I want to talk with Tom Milton (my favorite DAR) to get his perspective as well.

The bottom line is that Sport Pilot/LSA offers a whole new option for Bee builders to consider and it is always good to have options! I am adding a SP/LSA page to the Rotorbyte Gyrobee site that will be expanded as we all become more familiar with the implications of the new rule.

Ralph

[gyropilot]

Is it worth the additional regulatory burden to go with SP/LSA instead of Part 103? I honestly don't know.Ralph,

Obviously, deciding whether to go Part-103, LSA, or amateur-built experimental will come down to which option is best for the individual owner/pilot and his or her circumstances. As with most things, there's no one-size-fits-all. If a builder doesn't have a pilot rating and/or doesn't want one, then Part-103 will be the only option. If a builder has a pilot rating, or is willing to get one, then the LSA and amateur-built options will also be available.

In my case, since I already had a pilot rating, I had the choice between picking Part-103 or amateur-built experimental for my Bee. When compared against the regulatory burdens of going amateur-built experimental, it was more important to me to have the freedom to fly where I wanted, with as much fuel as I wanted. This tilted the scale in favor of amateur-built experimental over the simplicity of Part-103.

Now that my Bee is registered as amateur-built experimental and has its airworthiness certificate (I believe still the only GyroBee to have this), the regulatory burden from year to year seems rather minimal. Of course I have to maintain at least a class III medical, keep my biennial flight review current, perform and document an annual inspection on the Bee, and have the transponder checked and signed off every 2 years.

I'd have to say though, my biggest complaint is with the requirement to have a transponder in our local area... even on an aircraft such as mine (flying very low and slow). While I understand the importance from an ATC safety standpoint, had I gone with Part-103, my Bee wouldn't have needed one when operated in the very same airspace! As it is, I almost never fly high enough to even be seen by ATC radar. Not only was it horribly expensive, just finding a place to mount a transponder on an open frame gyro... and then keep it protected from the elements is a real pain.

On the other hand, I *really* like having 10 gallons of fuel and not having to worry about every last ounce of weight to stay under the Part-103 limits.

While I haven't studied it closely yet, I'm wondering if there's any advantage for someone in my situation to consider converting to LSA? Probably not.

Regards,

John L.

[Ralph]

John,

I suspect the advantages would be minimal. You would not be able to transfer the aircraft from its present Experimental to the new Experimental LSA certification and so all your present inspection criteria woulkd stay the same.

However, you can have a Sport Pilot certificate for the asking, since you already have your Private. Since your Bee meets the definitions for an LSA, you could fly it with that Sport Pilot certificate. As long as you were never denied a Third Class Medical, you could, at any time, let it lapse and continue to exercise SP privileges with a "driver's license medical". This might have some obvious advantages in the future but you do have to avoid getting your medical canceled or denied.

Ralph