Will Promote Sport Pilot As Affordable Way To Enjoy Flight
Sport Pilot is here to stay. That's a message the Experimental
Aircraft Association plans to drive home during the upcoming EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2006.
The ginormous fly-in -- billed as "The World's Greatest Aviation
Celebration," a moniker few (if any) aeroheads will dispute -- will
feature an enhanced Light-Sport Aircraft Mall touting some of the
many available choices in light sport aircraft, and special
briefings will also be held as part of EAA's ongoing mission to
introduce current and prospective pilots to a dramatic new movement
in recreational aviation.
Of course, the EAA was a prominent champion for the Sport Pilot
movement, which the group says significantly lowers the cost and
time-commitment barriers to becoming a pilot and enjoying the world
of personal flight. The EAA -- which is dedicated to enhancing its
members' participation in and enjoyment of recreational aviation --
lobbied in government and general-aviation industry circles for
more than a decade to create this opportunity.
EAA says Sport Pilot enables enthusiasts to learn to fly and
gain access to aircraft in half the time and for half the cost of
previous alternatives.
The Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) Mall -- the centerpiece of EAA's
sport pilot effort during AirVenture -- will display dozens of the
new, factory-built LSAs now available specifically to sport pilots.
The area will also feature well-recognized airplanes that have been
mainstays of general aviation for years, which sport pilots are
eligible to fly now.
Finally, EAA's LSA Mall will also include examples of
amateur-built airplanes and alternative aircraft, such as powered
parachutes and weight-shift-controlled craft that sport pilots can
fly. EAA's team of experts in sport pilot and light-sport aircraft
will be on hand at the LSA Mall to provide guidance and answer
questions.
In addition, EAA Member Village, a focal point and gathering
place for EAA members on the AirVenture grounds, will feature
orientation sessions for those exploring the sport pilot
opportunity. Each morning a 30-minute session will cover the basic
privileges and elements of the sport pilot certificate, training,
aircraft ownership and rental, tips on getting started, and
more.
Orientation attendees will also be entered in daily drawings for
free sport pilot gift packages.
Member Village will also offer EAA members the opportunity to
acquire official student sport pilot certificates, a government
requirement for the solo-flight phase of training, at no cost. This
represents a savings that more than offsets the price of a $40
annual EAA membership.
Because sport pilots fly only under circumstances that make
flying less complicated, and present greater margins of safety, the
training time and costs required are also cut in half. Sport pilots
fly only in daylight when weather conditions present good
visibility, and they avoid the congestion at the nation's busiest
airports.