I have a friend who flew gliders in the eighties. He also flew ultralights for many years. He has a pilots license with a glider endorsement only. He wants to get back into flying, Does anyone know what the steps are for him to get a light sport endorsement. He hasn't called the FAA yet but everyone he has talked to, including local instructors, don't know for sure the training he will need.

From the Federal Aviation Regulations web site:

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SI ... .2.61_1313

MTV

Technology isn't the only old-school thing entrenched in aviation. I remember when recreational pilot license came out, none of the CFI's at my airport knew anything about it (or wanted to know anything about it). Ditto several years later with Sport Pilot-- most CFI's don't know and don't wanna know. Best bet is to find a flight school that has an LSA-compliant airplane on the rental line, and talk to them.

MTV
I read the entire attachment and don't see the answer to my buddies question. He has a pilots license with a glider rating or endorsement, how ever you want to word it. He is not current in gliders but has been actively flying ultralights for 20 years. He wants to go lsa, Did I miss the information in your attachment? Thanks for the help.

Cliff

This thread may help:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... QFA5k9_dgg

I think your friend will need to read and study the regs for FAR 61.313.

I think he's still looking at 15 hours minimum dual, and a checkride. But if he's comfortable with gliders it should be an easy ride. The DPI will surely review the logs and see all their experience - even if it can't count for the mins - and likely feel a lot better about the ride.

cliff wrote:MTV
I read the entire attachment and don't see the answer to my buddies question. He has a pilots license with a glider rating or endorsement, how ever you want to word it. He is not current in gliders but has been actively flying ultralights for 20 years. He wants to go lsa, Did I miss the information in your attachment? Thanks for the help.

Cliff

Cliff,

Read the first segment of that matrix. I believe he's going to have to do the entire LSA powered airplane segment to add Light Sport pilot privileges to his pilot certificate. That's the way I read the regulation.

MTV

soyAnarchisto wrote:This thread may help:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... QFA5k9_dgg

I think your friend will need to read and study the regs for FAR 61.313.

I think he's still looking at 15 hours minimum dual, and a checkride. But if he's comfortable with gliders it should be an easy ride. The DPI will surely review the logs and see all their experience - even if it can't count for the mins - and likely feel a lot better about the ride.

Your reference regards someone working towards a Private certificate. He's asking about LS.

MTV

I understand that but it does underscore that you still have to apply to part 61 experience requirements. He doesn't have to all 20 hours of lsa only the 15 minimum power dual. Since he's experienced glider ppl he will probably be ahead of the game and be able to do it in near minumums.

He renewed his license and has a plastic pilots license (card). Will he need to attend ground school and take another written test?

I apologize I'm not able to give definitive guidance. I'm interested only because I'm studying for CFI-Sport.

I would encourage you to read the FARs and formulate your own strategy, then call a CFI/DPE and see if they agree. They will likely confirm w/ the FSDO. You might also have good luck contacting your local glider CFI/DPE and ask if they have transitioned someone from ppl-glider to powered is. Certainly you are going to need an instructor/examiner who is familiar or willing to understand LSA - and a lot are not.

The first place to start is 61.317 and 61.321 - which specifically cover category and class ratings for light sport certificates. I would then begin to argue since they already have private pilot glider - which is by default a higher certificate than light-sport glider - I would try to argue that I should have a similar transition path as a light sport pilot wishing to transition from glider to power. Which clearly is a logbook endorsement after a check ride. I believe 61.63(b)(4) spells this out pretty clearly - applying for an additional category to a certificate:

(4) Need not take an additional knowledge test, provided the applicant holds an airplane, rotorcraft, powered-lift, weight-shift-control aircraft, powered parachute, or airship rating at that pilot certificate level.

The interesting thing here is that your logbook endorsement is certainly not going to qualify you for power rating on your private pilot license. I wonder if the FAA has sample logbook endorsements for this.

First thing I'd do if it were me is contact the nearest FAA Flight Standards District Office, and ask THEM the question. That way, he'll get an "official" answer, as opposed to what you'll get here..... I'd call them, ask for the info, then ask them to send an email to verify.

As Greg noted, there's a lot of confusion and ignorance about LS. So, get the REL answer (or at least one that says FAA on it) then take that to his instructor and/or DPE. He'll impress them with his knowledge, and his willingness to do some research.

And the instructor/DPE may learn something as well.

Please report back with the REAL answer por favor.

MTV

Thanks all for the replies. Looks like a longer road ahead of him than we first anticipated. There still seems to be some grey areas associated with the transition from glider to LS license. If he continues to the next step, I will post his course of action given to him by the FAA. Thanks again, Cliff

Grey areas is right-- apparently a lot of greay areas right here on this site since I see everyone referring to getting a light sport license or becoming a light sport pilot. There's no such thing as a "light sport pilot"-- "light sport aircraft" is the aircraft, "sport pilot" is the person operating it.

You can see my ignorance of the subject, thanks for pointing it out. Just trying to help an old friend who is even more computer challenged than myself. Sorry, I don't know much about the sport license and hope I never need to go there. I sure would miss flying my 180.