Sport Pilot Question for Ralph

Kandace

Overachieving Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
Messages
591
Location
Germantown, WI
Aircraft
R22, R44
Total Flight Time
1954
Ralph, I hate to bother you, but you seem to be the most knowledgable person I've come across.

I have a PPL SEL and Glider, but no current BFR and no medical at the moment. (I've never been denied or revoked) My question is; After 9-1-04 If I want to fly under sport pilot regs, do I have to get the BFR in an aircraft that is sport pilot eligible, or can I get the BFR in any aircraft that I am rated in.

I also read somewhere that in order to fly any experimental aircraft (including gyros and helicopters) you only need to have a current BFR in an aircraft that you are rated in. Is this true?

Thank you,

Kandace
 
You have to take into consideration that a few of the Sport Pilot regs are not etched in stone yet. Till the FAA comes out with a better explanation people are taking some of the rules different ways. But here's my opinion.

do I have to get the BFR in an aircraft that is sport pilot eligible, or can I get the BFR in any aircraft that I am rated in.

You can take your BFR in any sport pilot eligable aircraft. If you have a current medical you can take it in any aircraft you are rated in. For a BFR in any aircraft that requires a Recreational rating or better. You are the pilot in command. As such you must have a current medical.

I also read somewhere that in order to fly any experimental aircraft (including gyros and helicopters) you only need to have a current BFR in an aircraft that you are rated in. Is this true?

This is also true. But after Sept 1st. the rule is supposed to change slightly. I don't have the Sport Pilot rule in front of me right now. But I believe you will still be able to fly any experimental aircraft solo. But in order to take a passenger you will have to be rated in that category/class aircraft.

Stay tuned for more info from the FAA. At OshKosh on thursday, during the Sport Pilot meeting, Sue Gardner from the FAA stated some of the items posted on the FAA site were incorrect. I don't know which parts she was referring to.
 
QUOTE For a BFR in any aircraft that requires a Recreational rating or better. You are the pilot in command. As such you must have a current medical.

Hi Chuck, I've had a few BFR's in my time and it has always been logged as dual instruction not PIC. I've heard from a few different sources on this one and I've always thought you needed a current medical, but I've heard various takes on this from different flight instructors.

Typical of the FAA, all very confusing.

Thank you for your response, I appreciate your taking the time.

Kandace
 
Kandace: I dont know if this will help..but in my situation...I needed a BFR. I was goingto have to prove proficiency to my instructor before he would sign me off. No problem unless you havent flown fixed wing for awhile..and dont want to spend hours getting current.

So..the FAA also lets you get a BFR by attending one of their safety seminars...and then with that done...you just go to any instructor and get three hours period in an aircraft..and your BFR is done.....
 
Kandace,

I will take a shot at answering your questions:

I have a PPL SEL and Glider, but no current BFR and no medical at the moment. (I've never been denied or revoked) My question is; After 9-1-04 If I want to fly under sport pilot regs, do I have to get the BFR in an aircraft that is sport pilot eligible, or can I get the BFR in any aircraft that I am rated in.

Your will have to apply for a Sport Pilot certificate - as I read the rule, no written or flight test would be required. From that point on, if you are flying under Sport Pilot, you will have to fly a qualified Light Sport aircraft and you will be operating on a "drivers license medical". If you were to fly anything that falls outside of the LSA definition, you would have to be flying on your Private certificate, which would mean that you would need a current Third Class medical and a current BFR.

I also read somewhere that in order to fly any experimental aircraft (including gyros and helicopters) you only need to have a current BFR in an aircraft that you are rated in. Is this true?

Gets a bit sticky! If you are talking about a Sport Pilot certificate, you could fly any gyro (Experimental or ELSA) or any other aircraft that met the LSA definitions. It is not yet clear how tight the category and class definitions will be. It looks like they will be pretty loose to minimize the hassle of getting checked out in trivial variants of standard configurations. You cannot fly ANY helicopter on a Sport Pilot certificate since all helis are excluded from LSA status.

The present rule is what we are going to have to live with. What was in the Federal Register IS the rule. FAA website material is meant to be informative but is not definitive. What is in flux for the next year or so is how the FAA will choose to interpret the rules as that is what will count in the real world.

Ralph
 
I've been thinking......I'm tired of the FAA, I'm going to go back to some activity that they have no control over............
 
FAA seems to be made of crazy goo!!!
It is but not quite, you can but maybe not!
I have worked with the basketball rules editor both here and at FIBA, it is dificult to put rule to paper in the US.
My first letter to the US editor was trying to get the meaning of : "the rubber band powers of the referee" I swear to God it was there! He missed it and so did the revisor!
Heron
 
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