S-LSA in class A airspace

23,000' is not class A in Hawaii and parts of Alaska so a private pilot can go that high in class E without an instrument rating or an IFR certified airplane. A sport pilot can't fly above 10,000' MSL anyway.
 
pdonahue said:
23,000' is not class A in Hawaii and parts of Alaska so a private pilot can go that high in class E without an instrument rating or an IFR certified airplane. A sport pilot can't fly above 10,000' MSL anyway.
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Actually a sport pilot can fly above 10,000' MSL in mountainous areas, but may not exceed 2,000' AGL in same. These are only a few places where this would apply.

14 CFR 61.315

(c) You may not act as pilot in command of a light-sport aircraft:
...
(11) At an altitude of more than 10,000 feet MSL or 2,000 feet AGL, whichever is higher.
 
Is there any practical reason to take and aircraft of that limited performance up that high? You'd spend a long time climbing and you wouldn't be at altitude for enough time to justify the climb.
 
My Sport Cub S-LSA had a note in the Limitations section of the POH: "The maximum operating altitude is 17,999 feet." So even though the airplane is capable of >18,000', it would not be legal to operate it in Class A, regardless of the certificate(s) held by the PIC.
 
Pilawt said:
My Sport Cub S-LSA had a note in the Limitations section of the POH: "The maximum operating altitude is 17,999 feet." So even though the airplane is capable of >18,000', it would not be legal to operate it in Class A, regardless of the certificate(s) held by the PIC.
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SLSA is not allowed to fly in IMC. Not sure that restriction applies to the flight levels.
 
citizen5000 said:
SLSA is not allowed to fly in IMC. Not sure that restriction applies to the flight levels.
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Are you sure that's an LSA constraint and not a Sport Pilot limitation? I ask because I thought an LSA, if properly equipped IAW 91.205, could be flown IFR by an appropriately rated private pilot (or higher).
 
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tsts4 said:
Are you sure that's an LSA constraint and not a Sport Pilot limitation? I ask because I thought an LSA, if properly equipped IAW 91.205, could be flown IFR by an appropriately rated private pilot (or higher).
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The restriction for SLSA and IFR came from a consensus ruling at ASTM. Rotax and most SLSA makers follow consensus rules established by this industry group and so placard against IFR flight.

The Sport Pilot rules are created and governed by the FAA. No Sport Pilot may fly in IMC nor be able to get an instrument rating.
 
citizen5000 said:
SLSA is restricted in weight (1300lbs MTOW) and max speed level flight at sea level (120 kts CAS). .
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The weight is 1320 lbs for land based and 1430 for LSA with floats. "(2) A maximum airspeed in level flight with maximum continuous power (VH) of not more than 120 knots calibrated airspeed under standard atmospheric conditions at sea level." Vh is max continuous power and is set by the manufacturer and might not be wide-open throttle. We're all familiar with aircraft that permit take-off power for 5 minutes and then must be reduced for cruise. This is how the Carbon Cub stays legal - defines Vh as a much lower number than most of us would expect.
 
citizen5000 said:
SLSA is not allowed to fly in IMC. Not sure that restriction applies to the flight levels.
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That is true now but there was a small, short window that permitted IMC operations. There is a FD CTLS in KCID that is not prohibited from IMC. (And of course, one can take the SLSA to ELSA and avoid the proscription.)
 
SLSA are restricted as noted. Not all LSA are SLSA, so those may be legal.
 
citizen5000 said:
The restriction for SLSA and IFR came from a consensus ruling at ASTM. Rotax and most SLSA makers follow consensus rules established by this industry group and so placard against IFR flight.

The Sport Pilot rules are created and governed by the FAA. No Sport Pilot may fly in IMC nor be able to get an instrument rating.
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Not all LSAs fly with rotax's and ATSM doesn't always apply for say a Continental or Lycoming powered LSA. So what is the FAR ref that says a properly equipped LSA can't be flown IFR by an appropriately rated Pilot assuming the AFM and OPLIMS don't prohibit it?

I know the limitations of a Sport Pilot.
 
N659HB said:
Actually a sport pilot can fly above 10,000' MSL in mountainous areas, but may not exceed 2,000' AGL in same. These are only a few places where this would apply.

14 CFR 61.315

(c) You may not act as pilot in command of a light-sport aircraft:
...
(11) At an altitude of more than 10,000 feet MSL or 2,000 feet AGL, whichever is higher.
Click to expand...

They had to add that to the SP rules. I wouldn't go west very far if it was 10000 MSL
 
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