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Oddities if upgrading from Sport Pilot to Private: How

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FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, Light Sport Aircraft, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

Have sport pilot rating. Have well over 400 hours, 800 landings, etc. Thinking of getting private pilot license. Main.... really only.... reason is so I could fly 4-seaters and/or a few aircraft that fly a bit faster than my 116 knot LSA. Other than that I don't find the SP limitations significant for me. In terms of requirements for the PP:  Have logged many times over the cross country and MOST of the other logging requirements for PP. Would have to take the PP knowledge test. Although time consuming review work, not a big issue as PP knowledge test really only has a few not expecially daunting areas on it that were not on the SP test (which I did well on). Would have to do a night flight with an instructor, and some minimal instrument flying instruction, if I understand right, with a CFI. Couple of issues, and questions for here, come up I think though with this path: I would have to, of course, show up for a Practical with a DPE. Normally students show up with a student license. I don't have a student license (mine expired, of course, two years after issue.) So is a DPE going to balk at having a candidate for practical show up without a student license? Since I'd be showing up with my LSA and my Sport Pilot license and am not required to have a current medical to fly it VFR daylight, yet AFAIK DPE's _expect_ you to show up with a current medical (not so?) and show up without a medical, would that create problems for the DPE or me? Keep in mind, as I'm sure you're aware any PP can fly an LSA without a medical as long as staying withing SP limitations (10,000 feet, daytime, VFR, etc.) As for why would I not get a medical first (in case you're thinking that): Since I'm not about to run out and purchase or rent an aircraft ourside LSA limits until AFTER I pass my PP, prefer not to run the expense or marginal (IMO) risk of failing the medical until I HAVE to have it. Also, might, even after getting PP, consider waiting a while to see if one of the proposals to let PP's fly without medicals in heavier than LSA aircraft goes through. Any other issues any CFI might want to bring to my attention in considering upgrading from SP to PP?

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3 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jun 08, 2015

    I would have to, of course, show up for a Practical with a DPE. Normally students show up with a student license. I don’t have a student license (mine expired, of course, two years after issue.) So is a DPE going to balk at having a candidate for practical show up without a student license?

    Of course not. Not any more than a DPE would balk by having a Commercial candidate show up with a privatecertificate. FAR 61.103(j).

    Since I’d be showing up with my LSA and my Sport Pilot license and am not required to have a current medical to fly it VFR daylight, yet AFAIK DPE’s _expect_ you to show up with a current medical (not so?)

    Yes he will. FAR 61.23(a)(3)(vi).

    Since you are working toward your private now, might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the FAR requirements.

    Any other issues any CFI might want to bring to my attention in considering upgrading from SP to PP?

    Hard to say when we don’t know what you do or do not know. Yoour best bet for answering is the CFI you are working with. One common one I can think of off-hand is whether you completed your pre-LSA dual tasks with a “regular” CFI or a sport pilot CFI. If you performed them with an LSA-only CFI, you might have to repeat some.

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  2. Al Spensor on Jun 08, 2015

    Thanks Mark.

    FWIW, all my previous dual training has been with regular CFIs.

    Al

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  3. Kris Kortokrax on Jun 10, 2015

    Interestingly, there is a legal interpretation that was just posted today which deals with this question.

    http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/pol_adjudication/agc200/Interpretations/data/interps/2015/Crowe-Palm%20Beach%20Helicopters%20-%20(2015)%20Legal%20Interpretation.pdf

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