Thu, Jan 30, 2003
The
new Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft categories, planned to
emerge from the FAA later this year, will bring business and other
benefits to the nation's smaller and underutilized airports,
according to officials of the Experimental Aircraft
Association.
Bob Warner, EAA Executive Vice President, speaking to the
Nebraska Aviation Symposium, reaffirmed the expected boost that
sport pilot/light-sport aircraft will bring to the nation's
airports. Warner told the airport owners and operators that now is
the time to prepare for the new pilot and aircraft categories, so
their facilities will be ready to welcome the new influx.
"Sport pilot
is the future of recreational aviation, especially for those who
depend on new pilot starts and fuel sales for their business
survival," Warner said. "Anyone involved in general aviation
realizes that the nation's reliever and general aviation airports
are a resource that is just waiting to be tapped. Sport pilot
offers that opportunity for those who are ready to welcome it."
EAA apparently thinks the final version of the Sport Pilot rule,
as it is commonly known, is expected to be released by FAA in
mid-2003 [E-I-C Note: We think that unlikely and would expect to
see it in late summer or early fall... i.e, the end of September...
right at deadline]. It will mark the culmination of more than a
decade of work by the FAA and other sport flying organizations and
pilot groups to bring forward categories of simplified pilot and
aircraft certification. Sport pilot and light-sport aircraft will
allow new, low-cost aircraft models to be accessible to new pilots,
who will use this area to discover the world of recreational
flight.
Currently, aircraft manufacturers are working with
FAA and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
International to establish light-sport aircraft standards that
ensure safety and reliability. Those standards are expected to be
approved for the various aircraft categories throughout 2003.
Airport planning groups are also exploring the potential from
those who participate as sport pilots or in light-sport aircraft.
For instance, the Metropolitan Airport Commission, which oversees
operations for seven airports in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN)
region, is preparing for the addition of light-sport aircraft to
their facilities.
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