At 27 Months, How's This Baby Growing?

With just over two years of flying under the Sport Pilot rules, how are things shaping up? If you're still reading this, we'll assume that you are at least moderately familiar with the ins and outs of the regulations, and what the whole thing is about. Therefore, we won't bore you with all the numbers, rules and regulations.

For those who want to wade thru the mumbo-jumbo, here's a link to the FAA site that will tell you way more than you ever wanted to know.

To end 2006, and kick off the New Year, let's take a look not at the rule itself, but how it is affecting people and the aviation industry. Overall, there is a sense that Sport Pilot is growing well, and aside from a few growing pains, is living up to expectations.

OK, we said we wouldn't bore you with a lot of numbers, but there are a few that are important to look at:

• To date, approximately 44 different models of S-LSA are available. These are factory built, ready to fly off of the showroom floor aircraft that sell for considerably less than most other factory built airplanes. Some people say they are still overpriced, and that is what is holding the industry back. (More on this later.)
• Over 400 Sport Pilot certificates have been issued. This number doesn't include pilots who hold higher ratings, but have let their medical expire and are operating under the Sport Pilot rule.
• More than 500 light-sport aircraft are registered with the FAA. This doesn't count type-certificated and amateur-built aircraft that are also eligible to be flown by sport pilots.
• More than 1,300 people have passed the sport pilot airman knowledge (written) test. This serves as evidence that the demand is there for aircraft and instructors, which dovetails with the first point, cost of aircraft.

The biggest news of 2006, as far as Sport Pilot is concerned, was that Cessna is considering getting into the market. For those of us fortunate enough to make it to AirVenture, we saw the unveiling of the unfinished proof of concept airframe. A few months later, at AOPA Expo, we saw the finished product.

N158CS -- or, as many have dubbed it, the "Cessna Sport" (above) -- was flown to Palm Springs by none other than Cessna Chairman, President, and CEO Jack Pelton. Cessna has yet to officially announce that it will manufacture and sell the Sport, but if popular opinion is any indicator, it seems like a done deal.

Long term, this is excellent news for not only the Light Sport industry, but GA as a whole. With the fleet of 152's and 172s rapidly approaching Classic status, the flight training community is aching for an affordable and dependable replacement. While there are other manufacturers currently producing worthy, and quite possibly superior competition, none bring to the table the name recognition, brand loyalty and economy of scale that Cessna offers.

There is a short term downside, though. Some folks may be waiting to buy an S-LSA until they see what Cessna does.

This leads us back to the price issue. Currently, demand is outpacing supply by a pretty good margin. Order an S-LSA today, and you probably won't take delivery of it for a few months. There are some exceptions, but overall this is the case, especially for the more popular models.  Anyone who has even heard the word "Economics" used in a sentence can tell you that when this is the case, prices will remain high.

If Cessna gets in the game, and as the market matures and the supply catches up with demand, we can honestly expect prices to come down. Will flying ever be as affordable as riding a Harley or owning a fishing boat?

Probably not. But it certainly brings the dream of ownership into reach for a lot more people.

As a side note, ANN spoke with several manufacturers at AOPA Expo, and they are considering new and innovative ways to market their wares. They are looking at off-airport sales locations, possibly co-located with motorcycle, boat, and other recreational vehicle dealers to put LSA's in front of the masses.

Also, many manufacturers are following more conservative business practices. They are not accepting large deposits until the customer is assured delivery. In the past, there have been situations where customers have made large deposits, and never received an aircraft. Essentially, their money was being used to fund either R&D, flight testing, or early production for other people's planes. The current trend seems to be towards accepting a small deposit to secure a delivery position, with a large deposit due a short time before their airplane is built, and the balance due at delivery.

The flight training market seems to be a little slow to jump on the Sport Pilot bandwagon. Sooner or later they will realize that they can buy an S-LSA for $60-80K, as opposed to $150,000 and up for a Cessna 172, then pass on the lower operating cost to the renter, and there is real promise for more people to do more flying... and THAT is a good thing.

One of the under appreciated values of S-LSA is the fact that they can be used for training and rental at almost all levels. Many models feature instrumentation far better than what most of us did our instrument training in, and the technology is only getting better and more affordable.

As LSA becomes more accepted in the flight training community, a fledgling pilot will be able to complete their entire training up through Commercial and CFII ratings in an LSA, with the exception of a few hours of High Performance and Complex time. Most LSA burn only 4-6 gallons of fuel per hour, as opposed to 8-10 in even the lowest performance trainers currently in the fleet. The savings in fuel alone could knock at least $1000 off the price tag of a Commercial ticket.

Unfortunately, 2006 saw a number of LSA accidents. Accidents are always bad news, but thus far there is no real evidence that this sector of GA is more susceptible to accidents than other comparable flight activities. Even considering the reduced training requirements to earn the Sport Pilot certificate, Sport Pilot seems to be holding its own from a safety point of view. In what was probably the highest profile Sport Pilot related accident to date, a Legend Cub enroute home from AirVenture ditched in Lake Michigan near Chicago, resulting in the loss of the pilot. The accident was caused by fuel exhaustion... an all too common refrain for light aircraft of all types -- certainly not unique to LSA.

Overall the future of Sport Pilot looks bright. Sales are strong, and interest is high. It's all still pretty new, and a lot of flight schools and instructors are still a little gun-shy. Many haven't taken the time to learn about it, which is a shame. Once they get aboard -- and many feel they eventually will -- the industry should boom.

As of today, though, it's still tough to find a place to rent an LSA and receive training. Insurance is another hold-up. As the product proves itself, insurers will come around and rates will go down as availability goes up.

Another snag that some potential Sport Pilots are still getting hung up on is what is known as the medical "Catch-22": if your last FAA medical application was denied, you are not eligible for sport pilot. If you simply let your medical lapse, though, there's nothing keeping you from legally flying as a sport pilot.

The EAA and AOPA are working hard to find a solution to this problem, though, and both organizations indicate some progress is being made.

Like any product or service in its infancy, it takes time to grow and mature... but we seem to be on the right track with Sport Pilot. So far.

FMI: www.sportpilot.org