FAA Releases Revised LODA

[NoWingsAttached]

The FAA released the newly revised LODA (Letter of Deviation Authority) and a link is found at www.sportaviation.org.

The short story is that CFI's can train gyro pilots in their own 2-place gyros, if they still own and operate the same ELSA gyros they were training in previously.

Hot diggity! I hope we haven't lost many CFI's who were turning into vegetable zombies waiting for this. I hope the EAA doesn't mind too much that I have scanned a copy of the announcement and posted it here, from my July issue of Sport Aviation.

[Resasi]

Clicked on the link, began reading the revised LODA pdf............and have just woken back up.

The riveting style these gems are written in has lost none of it's ability to put anything or anyone capable of reading them to sleep.

Would be interested to know if that means Davey down at Wauchula can instruct again, or was he required get a different licence to instruct?

[Andrewka]

I hope so. I am looking for an instructer in the north to central FL area. Are there any around?? I find a few inst. but, none with two seat gyros.

Andrew

[PW_Plack]

The short story is that CFI's can train gyro pilots in their own 2-place gyros, if they still own and operate the same ELSA gyros they were training in previously...

Actually, you're partially right. (The gyroplane side wasn't explained well by EAA in this article.) There appear to be few if any gyro trainers registered E-LSA. This new FAA guidance (actually issued May 24) also allows gyroplane instructors to get LODAs for new, Experimental Amateur-Built (EAB) gyroplanes if they want, (which allow beginning instruction once the 25- or 40-hour phase I test is complete,) something the fixed-wing guys cannot do.

But the FAA is still making it tough to actually justify bringing new gyro trainers online. The new LODAs expire in 24 months, and it's very possible that if factory-built E-LSA or S-LSA gyros are available by then, those EAB LODAs being issued today might not be renewed. That makes it hard to plan ahead financially.

Presumably, if you build a brand-new two-place machine today and start training in it, and your LODA renewal is denied in two years, you could still find someone who wanted a used two-place at your machine's depreciated value. And realistically, a two-year-old machine should still be worth that much. But it's still a gamble.

[Earthboundmisft]

Davey sold the Hirth 2 place, bummer. I loved that gyro. He is building another two place Dom, Soob powered. Time will tell.

[NoWingsAttached]

I thought the issue with Dave Seace was that he was a BFI, never got his CFI, and BFIs haven't been allowed to train as of 2009 or something.

[Resasi]

May have that right Gerg, still would seem a pretty experienced 'instructor', paper credentials or no.

[DesertRotor]

Actually, you're partially right. (The gyroplane side wasn't explained well by EAA in this article.) There appear to be few if any gyro trainers registered E-LSA. This new FAA guidance (actually issued May 24) also allows gyroplane instructors to get LODAs for new, Experimental Amateur-Built (EAB) gyroplanes if they want, (which allow beginning instruction once the 25- or 40-hour phase I test is complete,) something the fixed-wing guys cannot do.

But the FAA is still making it tough to actually justify bringing new gyro trainers online. The new LODAs expire in 24 months, and it's very possible that if factory-built E-LSA or S-LSA gyros are available by then, those EAB LODAs being issued today might not be renewed. That makes it hard to plan ahead financially.

Presumably, if you build a brand-new two-place machine today and start training in it, and your LODA renewal is denied in two years, you could still find someone who wanted a used two-place at your machine's depreciated value. And realistically, a two-year-old machine should still be worth that much. But it's still a gamble.

Thanks for clearing this up.
It might be worth waiting until after OSH this month.
Rumor has it that the FAA will grant LSA status to some new
Gyroplanes from Europe...

[Early Bird Dave]

I hope so. I am looking for an instructer in the north to central FL area. Are there any around?? I find a few inst. but, none with two seat gyros.

Andrew

Andrew, give me a call at 904-827-9539 so I can find out what you are looking for in training.
I had to travel some for my training but still more available here then some areas.

[WaspAir]

While all this has been going on for so long, how have people been getting their Flight Reviews done? It sounds like more than just an initial training issue.

If you're fixed wing rated, you could always do it in an airplane, I suppose, but I had the impression that there were a fair number of sport pilots (gyro) who might not be licensed in another category. Am I wrong about that?

[tadel001]

The FAA guidance works. I just got a call from our FSDO saying they will be sending out our LODA today for signature. This is nice to see. I know Soaring Concepts in Michigan also applied for its LODA and had an inspection for it yesterday.

S-LSA status for gyroplanes is not happening in the near future (meaning this year).