Thinking of going Sport Pilot

[MarkH]

I suggest you take the AOPA BasicMed Course: https://basicmedicalcourse.aopa.org

If you complete it, you can then get a physical from a doctor to fly BasicMed. If you don't want to get that physical you can then fly Sport Pilot, but you will be making the decision knowing your options.

In my opinion the biggest advantage of BasicMed vs Sport Pilot for my flying is costs savings on the plane. For usability, an AA1A/B/C with an 0-235 is nearly interchangeable with most low wing LSAs, but (on the used market) they sell for between 1/2 and 1/4 the price. Plus it gives you the option of renting a Cessna 150, 172 or a Piper 140. There are more Cessna 150s available for rent than all LSAs combined.

If you did not hold a Class 3, then Sport pilot would be a great choice, but when you can cross shop a used LSA with a Mooney M20 with $20K in the back seat, a Cessna 150 or a Grumman AA1 with $40K in the baggage area or a TriPacer with enough left over recover it, overhaul the engine and pay for a hundred hours of fuel. That doctor signed physical does not look too bad.

 

[Warmi]

I suggest you take the AOPA BasicMed Course: https://basicmedicalcourse.aopa.org

If you complete it, you can then get a physical from a doctor to fly BasicMed. If you don't want to get that physical you can then fly Sport Pilot, but you will be making the decision knowing your options.

In my opinion the biggest advantage of BasicMed vs Sport Pilot for my flying is costs savings on the plane. For usability, an AA1A/B/C with an 0-235 is nearly interchangeable with most low wing LSAs, but (on the used market) they sell for between 1/2 and 1/4 the price. Plus it gives you the option of renting a Cessna 150, 172 or a Piper 140. There are more Cessna 150s available for rent than all LSAs combined.

If you did not hold a Class 3, then Sport pilot would be a great choice, but when you can cross shop a used LSA with a Mooney M20 with $20K in the back seat, a Cessna 150 or a Grumman AA1 with $40K in the baggage area or a TriPacer with enough left over recover it, overhaul the engine and pay for a hundred hours of fuel. That doctor signed physical does not look too bad.

Of course a 40 year old plane with similar usability is going to sell for 1/2 or 1/4 the price of a say 5 year old LSA ... not sure what is your point here ..

 

[MarkH]

Of course a 40 year old plane with similar usability is going to sell for 1/2 or 1/4 the price of a say 5 year old LSA ... not sure what is your point here ..

Less cash or credit tied up in the airplane, cheaper insurance, less compulsion to place it in a hangar if hangars are impossible to find or insanely expensive.