If I have a Sport Pilot Certificate...

ktsai91

Well-Known Member
Since getting a medical certificate looks like an uphill battle for me, it seems I have no choice but to resort to flying to Light Sport aircraft. If I have a Sport Pilot Certificate, what kind of Light Sport aircraft can I exactly fly? Am I restricted to flying ONLY ultralights? Or is there other kinds of aircraft similar to a Cessna 172 that I can fly?
 
Can I start learning how to fly a Light-Sport Aircraft right now? How old do I have to be to fly it? Once again, I'm 17 years old. I don't have a driver's license yet but I do have a driver's permit.
 
Its either drivers license or third class medical (than can have lapsed) to self certify medical fitness. Drivers permit won't work. However you can start lessons any time.
 
Are there any flight schools at my local airport that I can train for a sport pilot certificate? My local airport is Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, NJ, KMMU.
 
No, I never been denied a medical before. In fact, I haven't even applied for a medical before.
 
No, I never been denied a medical before. In fact, I haven't even applied for a medical before.

Then keep it that way.

If you ever apply for a medical and are denied, then you may no longer fly "light sport aircraft"

You can also look into flying gliders with no medical.
 
Are there any flight schools at my local airport that I can train for a sport pilot certificate? My local airport is Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, NJ, KMMU.

Any CFI can train you for a sport pilot certificate. The challange will be finding an airplane that meets the requirements.
 
You and your parents need to decide if whatever is keeping you from your medical should be a big hint that flying may not be a good idea right now.
For example, one of my former students has ADHD. His idea was that he would stop his meds temporarily to get his medical, then restart them if needed. Bad idea.
He was kind of a loose cannon even while on meds, especially later in the day: risk-taking, impulsivity, total lack of judgement, etc. He could handle the basic hand-eye aspects of flying, and was actually a good stick, but at the time was in no way able to safely act as PIC of any airplane.
 
Personally speaking, and with all due respect, I don't agree with the whole sport pilot certificate not requiring a medical. Medicals are administered for a reason.
 
You and your parents need to decide if whatever is keeping you from your medical should be a big hint that flying may not be a good idea right now.
:yeahthat:
Personally speaking, and with all due respect, I don't agree with the whole sport pilot certificate not requiring a medical. Medicals are administered for a reason.
:yeahthat:
 
Personally speaking, and with all due respect, I don't agree with the whole sport pilot certificate not requiring a medical. Medicals are administered for a reason.

With all due respect, it's the law whether you agree with it or not. It's his privilege to seek the sport pilot certificate. There is also a reason that medicals are not administered for driver's licenses(other than CDL), part 103 ultralights, and LSA.
 
It may be the law, but what's legal isn't always smart.
I in no way want to make this a personal attack on ktsai91, who was smart enough to come here for guidance. We should support him and help him get going in the right direction. I just happened to look over in the medical forum and see that we're talking depression and ADHD.
SP requires you to self-certify that you are medically and psychologically fit to act as PIC. He needs to get himself healthy first, then worry about flying. I'm sorry, but there are many cases, both chronic and situational, where you are 'OK' to operate on the ground in 2D, but should NOT get into a pilot's seat and try to operate in the 3D world. Here's an FAQ from the FAA site: http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/medical_certification/sportpilots/
Also look at 61.23 (c)(2)(iv) and 61.53(b)
With a private pilot, the medical acts as a safety valve to ensure that people fix their problems before flying, but for SP, the 'self-certification' thing can allow people to fall through the cracks.
Just imagine the headlines if something were to happen- with all the fear mongerers out there in Congress, DHS and the ignorant general public, they'd have the SP program shut down in about 30 seconds. People are looking for excuses to get rid of GA in the US-we all as pilots need to work as hard as possible to minimize the number of excuses.
Ktsai- you're only 17 so you have plenty of time-I didn't start flying until I was over 30. Keep the dream alive- go get yourself healthy, then start working on flying. In the meantime, there are a few other non-flying options: find a CAP squadron, work at an FBO. Networking can pay huge dividends for you down the road.
 
I think that there is an implied "honor code" at work with Sport Pilot self certification. I believe that it can work well as long as the people that are doing the flying are honest in their assesment of themselves. A deaf person can get a medical (with restrictions), but the new Sport Pilot rating would allow someone who is deaf to get into a Cub or like airplane and learn to fly without having to go to the expense of learning things that as a medically certificated deaf pilot they would never use. I do not think anyone here would object to a deaf pilot flying a small airplane, and there are a host of other issues in a similiar vein.

That said, there is a reason that people fail medicals, and there is a reason that the FAA seems particularly harsh regarding various psychological drugs. Personally, if I were to fly with a Sport Pilot license I would use the FAA prohibited drugs list as a guide to whether or not I could "self certify". Whatever the outcome, good luck to the original poster and make a good decision.
 
Personally, if I were to fly with a Sport Pilot license I would use the FAA prohibited drugs list as a guide to whether or not I could "self certify". Whatever the outcome, good luck to the original poster and make a good decision.

There is no list.
 
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