ANN Continues To Be FIRST With Sport Pilot/LSA Details...
ANN has been monitoring
the press conference just concluded by the FAA that announced the
new Sport Pilot/LSA rules. Due to take effect on September 1st,
2004, we found the FAA's remarks interesting and noted few
surprises.
First of all, Administrator Blakey definitely put a very
positive spin on what has been a contentious and laborious
process... promising that the LSA/Sport Pilot program would
enhance/increase aviation safety. She claimed that there some 15000
"unregulated" aircraft in the US today and that the
establishment of LSA would bring them together, at the request of
the community itself, under the guidance of the FAA.
Blakey described a rule where Sport Pilots would be allowed to
operate Light Sport Aircraft in conditions requiring "3 miles
visibility and below 10000 feet." Blakey further described the
average LSA as costing between $20K and $60k, while also relating
her experiences (very positive, it appears) while flying a Flight
Design CT, last year, at Oshkosh.
Other FAA staffers, commenting on the new rule, noted that
hang-glider tow operations would be allowed under the rule, though
the tow pilots would have to hold a Private Pilot's license. Some
degree of owner maintenance is also to be allowed, and that such
manners would be supervised by a new FAA Light Sport Aircraft
branch. The FAA expects the new rule to result in at least 15000
new pilots in the foreseeable future.
As to the question of
the Driver's License Medical, ANN's so-called "speculation" was as
accurate as we promised. If you have been denied a medical
certificate,you can NOT use a DML. "The rule is clear," noted an
FAA staffer, in responding to our and other questions about the
FAA's intent for the DML... "if the FAA has knowledge of a denial,"
the FAA will require additional effort from those affected. We did
get something of a clarification, though, for those already
operating under a special issuance medical certificate... if a
person is currently flying under a special issuance certificate,
"they will be authorized" to fly LSA's, though they will have to
follow the restrictions established by the FAA in granting such a
special issuance. The FAA did note that someone who has operated,
for a while, under a special issuance scenario could, "in time," be
allowed to eventually operate a LSA using a DML...though no further
details were yet available to establish the criteria for such
future operations.
There's more... but we're now turning to a number of industry
experts for their take on the day's affairs and will be presenting,
throughout the day, the thoughts and conclusions as they formulate
them. Keep checking back with ANN to make sure you stay up to
date. Former USUA President and LSA Expert, John Ballantyne
(described by a Senior FAA Staffer as "the guy who started this,"
will be filing his reports in a short while -- and we have a LOT
more data coming in as we write this.
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