12/28/2004: First SPE Class Attendees Announced, Practical Test Standards Released
12/19/2004: Transitioning From Ultralight Pilot To Sport Pilot- Time to get ready for the Sport Pilot Knowledge Test…
FAA authorized testing centers are now offering The Sport Pilot Knowledge test for transitioning Ultralight Pilots or Instructors, who were registered as such with an FAA recognized Ultralight program on or before September 1, 2004. USUA members who have the USUA Ultralight Airman registration as described, may now request a certified copy of their registration records to be used as the authorization to take this test. This valuable document can be requested online, and will be sent to members at no charge. USUA has also prepared step by step guidance to help members with preparation for these tests and the certification of your USUA Ultralight Pilot or Instructor registration.
View our step by step instructions, and request a copy of your registration records here.
12/09/2004: Sport Pilot Examiner candidates pass first hurdle of selection process
12/02/2004: Sport Pilot Student Pilot Certificates
The FAA has issued Notice #N8700.34 to all FSDOs, authorizing them to issue student pilot certificates to Sport Pilot candidates. (link will open as a Microsoft Word document)
11/20/2004: USUA And SweeneyCorp Offer Sport Pilot Ground School. Read the details here.
11/18/2004: Student Pilot Certificate For Sport Pilot Candidates
(From Martin Weaver, Manager, AFS-610) We have not been able to get the policy to the field concerning the issues of a student pilot certificate for a sport pilot candidate as we had hoped by November 15, 2004. In order to stop confusion and standardize the process the following procedures will be used in order to accomplish this task. The FAA Aviation Safety Inspector or a Designated Plot Examiner will use the appropriate chapter in either FAA Order 8700.1 or FAA Order 8710.3 that deals with issuing a Student Pilot Certificate (FAA Form 8710-2). The inspector or examiner will note on FAA Form 8710-1 the Other box in Section I "Sport Pilot". The application is processed in accordance with the current guidance.
A briefing should be conducted by the inspector or examiner to the student pilot applicant as to the limitations of a sport pilot student as defined in 14 CFR 61.89(c). Additional inspectors and examiners should discuss the limitations with flight instructors that are providing training to sport pilot students.
It is now anticipated that the guidance for the utilization of the new Sport Pilot Airman Application (FAA-Form 8710-11) and the appropriate endorsements will be available to the public by January, 2005.
11/15/2004: FAA Order 8710.7 Now Available
The new Sport Pilot Examiner Handbook, FAA Order 8710.7, is now available on the FAA web site. We have also added a link to the top of this page, to download it directly from the USUA website.
11/14/2004: FAA Order 8130.2F Now Available
The Airworthiness Certification of Aircraft and Related Products, (FAA Order 8130.2F) is now available for download.
Chapter 4, Section 6 has information reference the Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) and Chater 4 Section 8 covers the Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (ELSA). We will try to get this order up on the AFS-610 web site by the end of the upcoming week.
(From Martin Weaver, AFS-610) We are continuing to receive applications from candidates for the Sport Pilot Examiner program. This is good for all of us. Some orgainzations are putting the word out that a recommendation letter from an organization "must" be included in the package. This is not a true statement. I recommendation letter is "recommended" but may come from others within the industry or FAA FSDO inspectors or examiners.
11/10/2004: Sport Pilot Examiner selection update
Some mis-information is floating around in the aviation community reference the Sport Pilot Examiner application deadlines. The first Light Sport Standardization Board (LSSB) will meet beginning November 29, 2004 in Oklahoma City at the Light Sport Standardization Office (AFS-610). The applications received by November 23, 2004, that have all the appropriate information and documentation will be evaluation and graded during this borad. Eight candidates will be selected from these applications and be invited to attend the first Sport Pilot Examiner course to be held beginning January 17, 2005 in Sebring, FL. Those applications received after November 23rd, applications not completed properly or containing all the appropriate information and those candidates not selected by the December board will be considered at the next LSSB which is scheduled in February 2005 for the remaining courses. We will be conducting additional examiner courses up through October 2005. By that time we should have had an opportunity to train at least 100 examiners. The important message for all examiner candidates is to read the instruction sheet that is attached and make sure the application is filled out in it's entirety. Additionally, all required requested supporting documents must be included with the application.
The Designated Airworthiness Representative - Light Sport Aircraft (DAR-LSA) program is moving forward slowly. A new application, FAA Form 8110-14, will be used by candidiates for this program. It is not yet available. The new FAA Order 8130.33 needs to be signed and implemented before the program begins. The first DAR-LSA classes will not be available until after January 2005. The latest information reference the DAR-LSA program can be obtained by monitoring the Designee Standardization Branch (AFS-640) web site listed under the AFS600.faa.gov link.
Martin Weaver
Manager, LSAB (AFS-610)
From Dale Hooper:
To all BFI/AFIs who intend to submit SPE or SPIE applications. Please be sure to:
Applications not complying with the above actions will be returned to the applicant by FAA as incomplete and your chance of being selected for the initial cadre of SPIEs will be low at best.
Please, follow the instructions included with the application.
Dale Hooper,
USUA
11/07/2004: Martin Weaver (Manager, AFS-610), reports that the FAA is receiving many Sport Pilot examiner applications from Sport Pilot Examiner candidates. He reports that many applications are being submitted with errors, or are incomplete. These errors, can delay processing of the application. To avoid delays, all applicants are urged to read the complete set of instructions, and make sure applications are submitted completely filled out, and submitted with all required supporting documentation.
11/05/2004: The FAA has posted portions of the test question bank for Sport Pilot, Sport Pilot PPC/Weight Shift, Sport Pilot Instructor and Pilot Examiner on the AFS-630 website. They can all be viewed here.
The actual testing for all sport pilots, private weight-shift control and powered parachute, and sport pilot flight instructor and designated pilot examiners is expected to begin December 1st. Pilot examiner knowledge test authorizations will be issued by AFS-610 only.
The practical test standards are in final coordination. They should also be ready by December 1st. The new Sport Pilot Examiner Handbook (FAA Order 8710.7) was signed by AFS-1 on October 18th. The document should be available on the FAA website within a few weeks.
10/27/2004: Consensus Standards Meeting Continue in Sebring Florida
10/22/2004: FAA Now Accepting Sport Pilot DPE Applications
10/22/2004: USUA helps define the criteria for Light Sport Aircraft Repairman certificate applicants
10/05/2004: Sport Pilot Implementation Timeline from the FAA.
09/14/2004: Listen to Sue Gardner's Sport Pilot presentation from Airventure 2004 here
09/10/2004: USUA Attends Sport Pilot Implementation Meetings In Oklahoma City
09/03/2004: What A Long Trip It's Been (Comments by Dale Hooper)
07/27/2004: Ultralight Pilot To Sport Pilot Transition Guide
07/20/2004: Sport Pilot Released: Today, on the 35th anniversary of man's first landing on the moon, the new Sport Pilot Rule was announced, in a ceremony held at FAA headquarters, in Washington D.C. Read the complete details, with USUA comments here.