Sport Pilot: LSA on Water?

Tuesday, July 05, 2011 at 05:44 PM ET

Verified

** The landing gear on the American Legend
Aircraft Co. Legend Cub amphibs is
mechanically actuated with a handle located
on the left, near the front of the cockpit.**

Key Takeaways:

Light-sport aircraft (LSA) can be seaplanes, with a higher maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds (compared to 1,320 pounds for land-based LSA) to accommodate the necessary floats or hull.
Several manufacturers offer LSA seaplane models, and eligible land-based LSA can be retrofitted for water operation provided they meet the LSA definition.
Sport pilots need specific training and endorsements from a seaplane-rated CFI, including a proficiency check, to fly LSA intended for water operations, typically requiring about 6.5 hours of instruction.

See a mistake? Contact us.

(July 2011) Can light-sport aircraft be seaplanes? In short, yes. But only as long as the aircraft “intended for water operation” meets and stays within the LSA definition. And, as with land aircraft, that includes meeting a maximum takeoff weight. In the case of seaplanes, the magic number is 1,430 pounds instead of the 1,320 for single-engine land aircraft (see the March column “Why 1,320?“). So why the extra buck ten? We can trace its origin back to the FAA notice of proposed rulemaking process for the Sport Pilot/LSA rule. When deciding on the maximum takeoff weight to accommodate the seaplane structure (hull or floats), the FAA once again looked to the European microlight regulations.

“During the comment phase of the NPRM, the FAA received numerous comments requesting extra weight for seaplane LSAs,” explains David Oord, EAA’s government and advocacy specialist. “The 110-pound increase was consistent with data for the weight of floats for European microlights.”