Sport Pilot

FLYING Staff

Monday, December 11, 2006 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

During a flight review, the flight instructor is expected to act as Pilot In Command (PIC), particularly if the pilot being reviewed cannot legally serve as PIC (e.g., due to an expired medical), clarifying there has been no rule change on this matter.
Builders of a kit aircraft registered as Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (E-LSA) are required to complete a 16-hour LSA Repairman Inspection course to obtain a repairman certificate, even as the primary builder.
Conversely, the primary builder of an amateur-built aircraft can qualify for a repairman certificate without needing additional training.

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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”:

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.