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Sport Pilot

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A flight instructor (CFI) can and often should act as Pilot In Command (PIC) during a flight review, particularly for pilots operating without a medical or whose previous review has expired, debunking the misconception that the pilot is always PIC.
  • Builders of E-LSA (Experimental Light Sport Aircraft) are required to complete a 16-hour LSA Repairman Inspection course to obtain a repairman certificate, even if they built the aircraft, which differs from the rules for primary builders of amateur-built aircraft.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Each month, Flying answers questions about the new Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft rule with assistance from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the authority on the opportunities available within the category commonly known as “Sport Pilot”:

I renewed my CFI this year but don’t use the rating. Actually, I am now flying in the Sport Pilot category and own an Avid Flyer. While I was attending the CFI class, I asked the examiner about flight reviews. In the “old days” the CFI who gave the BFR was pilot in command. The instructor/ examiner told us that the rule has changed. Now the pilot is in command, not the CFI, who is there to observe and review only.

FLYING Staff

FLYING Magazine is a one-stop resource for everything aviation, including news, training, aircraft, gear, careers, photos, videos, and more.

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