I'm 6'1", 280lbs. Is a light sport certificate possible

[vacantstance]

I feel so fortunate to have found this awesome website! I am very interested in obtaining my light sport certificate, but as my subject states, I'm no lightweight. I recently visited an FBO in my neighborhood and spoke to a gentleman who basically told that the only way I could train for light sport was if I could find an instructor who weighs less than 100lbs. I would accept his advice if not for the fact that he was trying desperately to get me to pursue a PPL. I'm not sure why he pushed the PPL. Maybe it was my weight. Maybe it was the fact that they didn't have an LSA in their fleet. Either way, I'm on a diet but light sport is affordable and satisfies the only conditions I would ever need to fly. Is there no aircraft that could carry me, an instructor and fuel? What LSA has the maximum useful load? Thanks for any and all advice.

[SportCubJim]

Check with some schools that have side by side trainers like a CT. You may be able to stay within weight, fuel and CG requirements.

Don't give up.

[Jim Stewart]

Can you lose 20 pounds? The CTSW POH states the maximum weight per seat to be 260. In a hypothetical 720 pound CT with 30 gallons of fuel and no baggage that leaves 160 pounds for the instructor.

I haven't run the balance numbers for max and min fuel. It would be a good exercise for you and your instructor.

[vacantstance]

I am very encouraged by your words! I certainly can lose 20lbs or more, which should expand my options when searching for an instructor. I considered taking a week's vacation and getting my certificate in Florida or somewhere south, you know, one of those accelerated programs. I'm not finding many light sport aircraft for rent here in Northern Virginia.

Can you lose 20 pounds? The CTSW POH states the maximum weight per seat to be 260. In a hypothetical 720 pound CT with 30 gallons of fuel and no baggage that leaves 160 pounds for the instructor.

I haven't run the balance numbers for max and min fuel. It would be a good exercise for you and your instructor.

[roger lee]

[Helen]

Hi there! You are probably going to want to come over to our place in Stevensville, MD. We are a bit of a trek from Stafford but since they redid the Wilson bridge the traffic hasn't been bad. We can do multiple lessons in a day or put you up in a hotel as well.

We have a lovely little Echo Super that we've graduated two 310lb students on (one of whom was 6'9" an is on this forum). Each of these students had a 180lb CFI with full fuel and room for bags. Give us a call at the office when you are ready to take an intro flight. 410-604-1717

Tailwinds!
Helen

[FLA-CFI]

I feel so fortunate to have found this awesome website! I am very interested in obtaining my light sport certificate, but as my subject states, I'm no lightweight. I recently visited an FBO in my neighborhood and spoke to a gentleman who basically told that the only way I could train for light sport was if I could find an instructor who weighs less than 100lbs. I would accept his advice if not for the fact that he was trying desperately to get me to pursue a PPL. I'm not sure why he pushed the PPL. Maybe it was my weight. Maybe it was the fact that they didn't have an LSA in their fleet. Either way, I'm on a diet but light sport is affordable and satisfies the only conditions I would ever need to fly. Is there no aircraft that could carry me, an instructor and fuel? What LSA has the maximum useful load? Thanks for any and all advice.

There are certainly LSAs that can handle your weight....
Our Remos has a Useful load of almost 600lbs. Meaning you plus any one of our instructor can fly the plane with more than 3 hours of fuel on board.
If you do find your way down to FL let us know if we can help you out in anyway!
Adam
407.886.7612

[drseti]

The plane will handle the weight with out any issues.

Please don't assume that just because a plane will "handle the weight" it is safe (or wise) to make it do so! The LSA rules limits not only max gross weight (1320 pounds maximum), but also maximum stall speed (45 knots clean). As weight goes up, stall speed increases. So, when loaded above 1320 pounds (which they can probably "handle" structurally), the stall speed goes above 45 knots, and your safety margin is compromised. You not only violate the FARs at over-gross, but void your insurance, and compromise your flight instructor's certificate. In the unlikely event of a stall-spin accident, you can be sure that lawsuits will ensue! I urge you to respect the LSA limits, not only for your own safety, but to protect the whole LSA industry from possible disaster. There are interests out there that would love to see LSA done away with. Let's not give them any ammunition.

[drseti]

I recently visited an FBO in my neighborhood and spoke to a gentlem an who basically told that the only way I could train for light sport was if I could find an instructor who weighs less than 100lbs.

Well, I wouldn't go that far, although you would be limited in terms of the fuel load you could safely carry. Let's run some numbers, using my SportStar Plus as an example:

Max gross = 1268 pounds. Empty wt = 745, so useful load = 523 pounds.
You weigh 280 pounds, and I weigh 170. I always carry 10 pounds worth of emergency and survival gear. This leaves us 63 pounds of fuel. At six pounds to the gallon, we're talking only 10.5 gallons of fuel. The Rotax 912ULS burns 5 gals/hour at 5000 rpm, so you have only 2.1 hours fuel on board. The FAA requires a 30 minute fuel reserve (which I consider wholly inadequate, but let's go with that). So, no lesson or dual cross country can last more than 96 minutes. That's cutting it pretty thin, IMHO. As a matter of company policy, I personally limit myself to students weighing 250 pounds or less, to allow more comfortable fuel reserves.

Of course, one can upgrade the SportStar Plus to a SportStar Max (I have the kit for complying with the Service Bulletin to do this; will install this winter). The Max conversion adds vortex generators to the wing, lowering the stall speed, so you can increase max gross all the way up to the 1320 pound LSA limit, and still stay below 45 knots stall speed clean. When the mod is completed, payload increases by 52 pounds, which equates to 8 2/3 more gallons of petrol. That's an hour and 40 minutes more range, which makes the plane practical for someone of your weight, instructed by someone of mine. So, yes, it's possible; just requires careful planning, and proper fueling of the aircraft.

Don't forget that, at some point, you're going to take a practical test with a designated examiner. He or she must be low enough in weight to allow you sufficient fuel for the flight test. One of our local DPEs weighs 300 pounds - and refuses to give flight tests in LSAs! So make sure you can find a lightweight DPE before you get too far into your training.

Safe skies.

[dfmoeller]

Let me help with this topic. I'm 6'4", also 280. I trained at Denton, Tx in a Remos and currently fly one out of Burnet, Tx. No weight and balance problems at all. In fact, I wasn't the tallest guy learning in Denton. There were several large guys training on those airplanes. One guy a couple of inches taller than I and near in weight.


Doug

[flyingclay]

drseti wrote:

I always carry 10 pounds worth of emergency and survival gear.

Could you share what you cary in the emergency equipment and survival gear?

[drseti]

Could you share what you cary in the emergency equipment and survival gear?

Gladly!

(1) a commercial Wilderness Survival Kit (2 pounds, in a canvas pouch) [Now 30 years old... I imagine the granola bars are pretty stale!]
(2) a Swiss army knife
(3) a Leatherman tool
(4) an entrenching tool (combination shovel and hatchet)
(5) my old USAF first-aid kit (45 years old now; I hope the salve hasn't dried out...)
(6) a gallon bottle of water

Note that survival experts recommend one gallon of water per day, per person. Since these are two-place aircraft, and the average rescue can take three days, we should really be carrying six gallons. At eight pounds to the gallon, that's 48 pounds of water (and my SportStar's maximum baggage capacity is only 55 pounds!) Obviously, we're compromising here. If ever I have to do an emergency landing, I have to hope it's near a river or stream. (My Wilderness Survival Kit includes water purification tablets.)

I used to carry a whole lot more in the back of my old Beechcraft -- sleeping bag, tent, space blankets, camp stove, fuel, matches, kindling, fishing line, fish hooks, salmon eggs, tools... but that plane had a 270 pound baggage capacity!

[ArionAv8or]

Now 30 years old... I imagine the granola bars are pretty stale!]

I'll fly with you Doc but I am bringing my own food!

[stanjan]

One more vote for the Rems GX. I am 5 foot 10 in and 265 pounds. My CFI is 210. I own a Remos GX with the aviator II package, the flight school wheel package and the BRS parachute. I have a 605 pound useful load. We can fly with a full tank of gas minus one gallon. in addition, we both fit comfortably in the cockpit without rubbing shoulders. Bottom line, find a Remos and you can fly sporty.

[drseti]

I am 5 foot 10 in and 265 pounds. My CFI is 210.
<snip>
I have a 605 pound useful load. We can fly with a full tank of gas minus one gallon.

That's great. Running those numbers backward, I come up with you being able to carry 21 2/3 gallons of fuel. Since the listed usable fuel of the Remos is 21 gal, it would appear you don't even need to offload that one gallon (assuming you carry no baggage). In truth, composite aircraft tend to be lighter than metal ones, so their useful load is going to be better.

My (metal) SportStar carries 31+ gallons of fuel, but there's no reason to fill it to the top. I usually run with 16 to 20 gallons, which works for most students (even though the airframe is heavier than yours). But for heavier than average folks, the Remos seems to be a better choice.

Fly it safely!