Cross the Canadian Border Without Medical?

FLYING Staff

Thursday, August 09, 2007 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

ELT installation is required for nearly all fixed-wing aircraft with more than one seat, including Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA), regardless of speed or weight, contrary to a common belief.
Pilots can submit an amateur-built aircraft registration application (FAA Form 8050-88) using "TBD" for the engine serial number if it's unavailable, adding the final number during the airworthiness certificate application.
Flying U.S.-registered S-LSA in Canada requires specific written permission from Transport Canada and a current FAA medical certificate for the pilot, as LSA airworthiness certificates are not valid internationally without special authorization.

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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”:

In a recent magazine article I read about amateur-built light-sport aircraft, E-LSA Certification requires that an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) must be installed. Is this right? I thought that under normal certification for a homebuilt, if an airplane does not have a top speed of about 160 mph (I don’t remember just how it reads), ELT is required. At least, that was what the regs said a few years ago.