Sport Pilot Talk

I approached Aviation Adventures in Eagle Run, Va at Warren Fauquier airport about Sport Pilot lessons and they offer them in their Skycatcher, but you have to pass a medical to check out in the aircraft in order to solo. I asked if it had something to do with their insurance and they said no, it's just their policy. I guess they can afford to turn down the business. Seems like a lot of business to pass up. Maybe if the demand was greater, they'd reconsider. I'm heading over to Chesapeake Sport Pilot myself.

I'm well aware of the other benefits, but I'm curious as to what percentage of Pilots are flying or training SP because of the medical?

"...I'm curious as to what percentage of Pilots are flying or training SP because of the medical?"

It's a good Q and discussed here, with assumptions attached, a fair bit. But I suspect whatever data on this might exist (and I haven't seen any...) is pretty squishy. We know that the SP license has not attracted substantial interest on its own merits. The FAA tells us we are at 4350 SPL pilots as of 2011. According to a UND presentation not long ago, in 2011 there were 4700 private pilot licenses issued. That's 4700 PPLs in just that one year. So on the 'training' side of your question, the numbers suggest PPL issuances are on an order of magnitude higher than SPL issuances. It's a shame we can't look at SPL 'training numbers' the way we can PPL students, since PPL students have to obtain a medical to solo and those numbers are known. But we can only look at issuances.

The bigger (and tougher) Q is how many PPL and above-rated pilots are flying under SP rules. That doesn't really relate to the experience you were reporting, where the FBO/training facility didn't feel the pressure to allow students the same medical qualifications as the SPL allows. But my guess is that this isn't as big a number of pilots as I often hear others assuming. One would have to start by looking at the total number of aircraft certified as S-LSA a/c and the number of each certified model that has been sold (so e.g. 272 Cessna 162's were certified, one of the more sales-successful models). This total number of S-LSA a/c numbers in the many hundreds but not thousands. Now add in those experimental LSA's certified as either E-LSA or E-AB. So e.g. the most successful E-LSA model is Vans RV-12. (FAA records state 59 Van's RV-12's have been certified, which is w-a-y low of reality...and another example of how assembling numbers is a squishy business). Adding up all these experimental LSA types might still leave the total of all certified LSA's around 1,000 or a few hundred more. Some of those S-LSA's - is a SWAG of 50% fair? - will be business-owned and in training/rental fleets, while the balance will be pilot owned. The LSA rental fleet (let's just guess 500, to be generous) are used by pilots of varying licenses, including most of the SPL licensed pilots. Why are most SPL pilots renting rather than owning? Because a/c ownership is expensive and, just like the PPL and above community, only a small minority of those 4350 SPL pilots will own an LSA a/c. So that leaves ~500 LSA a/c of various types that are owned by SPL plus PPL and above licensed pilots.

The above guestimates are indeed squishy. But adding all that up, it leads me to estimate there are some thousands (not tens of thousands) of PPL and above licensed pilots who are flying Light Sport-eligible a/c. When compared with the total number of pilot licenses still in the FAA data base (600,000+ as of 2011) that's a wee drop in the bucket.

sportpilotflyer wrote:I approached Aviation Adventures in Eagle Run, Va at Warren Fauquier airport about Sport Pilot lessons and they offer them in their Skycatcher, but you have to pass a medical to check out in the aircraft in order to solo. I asked if it had something to do with their insurance and they said no, it's just their policy. I guess they can afford to turn down the business. Seems like a lot of business to pass up. Maybe if the demand was greater, they'd reconsider. I'm heading over to Chesapeake Sport Pilot myself.

Take your business where you are valued and most welcome as a Sport Pilot flying with a driver's license medical which satisfies all FAA requirements, and over many years has been proven to be most successful and safe.

As of 2013 there are 180,214 private pilots (down from 299,111 in 1990 and 251,561 in 2000). There are no stats on how many private pilots are flying with expired medicals. There 4,824 sport pilots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_cert ... ted_States

There are about 8000 experimentals and slsa registrations (5% of GA).

http://www.bydanjohnson.com/Sidebar.cfm?Article_ID=1857

Since there is no way to tell how many sport pilots own an aircraft. And how many private pilots with expired medicals own an experimental or lsa. One could expect a good number of both are renting when they fly.

One could extrapolate that there could be as many as 5,000 to 10,000 privates flying as sport pilots given the numbers above. Or at least half of the total of pilots flying as sport pilots.

If the rules are changed, half the LSA market will collapse.

CTLSi wrote:If the rules are changed, half the LSA market will collapse.

If you like your airplane, you can still keep your airplane!

designrs wrote:

CTLSi wrote:If the rules are changed, half the LSA market will collapse.

If you like your airplane, you can still keep your airplane!

I love the plane, but I am outgrowing the mission it performs. I will be getting a 4-seater in 2015 so will be selling this little gem. It remains to be seen if the FAA makes any changes before I get a chance to sell it.

designrs wrote:

CTLSi wrote:If the rules are changed, half the LSA market will collapse.

If you like your airplane, you can still keep your airplane!

Exactly...my CTSW will not crumble to dust if the medical rules change. It will still be just as useful and the performance will be just as good.

The only change for me for a DL medical for PP would be that I *might* get my Private so that I could fly at night. I don't really have a need or desire to fly in inky blackness, but I would like to not have to rush home at sunset occasionally.

CTLSi wrote:

designrs wrote:

CTLSi wrote:If the rules are changed, half the LSA market will collapse.

If you like your airplane, you can still keep your airplane!

I love the plane, but I am outgrowing the mission it performs. I will be getting a 4-seater in 2015 so will be selling this little gem. It remains to be seen if the FAA makes any changes before I get a chance to sell it.

If you really think the LSA market could collapse with any changes, I'd think you'd be trying to unload that dog RFN...

MrMorden wrote:
If you really think the LSA market could collapse with any changes, I'd think you'd be trying to unload that dog RFN...

We are getting it ready to sell. There is some factory warranty work that has to be done (Rotax voltage regulator etc). Then we are getting the sport upgrade done. Then we list it... One of the unique things about my plane is that it has never tasted leaded gas. And it is loaded with all the goodies...

CTLSi wrote:

MrMorden wrote:
If you really think the LSA market could collapse with any changes, I'd think you'd be trying to unload that dog RFN...

We are getting it ready to sell. There is some factory warranty work that has to be done (Rotax voltage regulator etc). Then we are getting the sport upgrade done. Then we list it... One of the unique things about my plane is that it has never tasted leaded gas. And it is loaded with all the goodies...

I'm sure if your asking price is in line with the market it will sell quickly.

I've had a few encounters with them as well. I now drive to Richmond to fly.

I've made it well known that I'm heading elsewhere to do my flying, but I'm not happy about it.

I've also sent a few (unanswered) emails to Bob Hepp, the owner at Aviation Adventures.

-Rob