Close to solo question

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Tony R

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I have about 12 hours and things are going well. I'm handling all phases of flight with little to no intervention from my CFI. He told me to knock out my written and get my iacra number.

I've been kicking around the choice between sport pilot and private. I've studied for both and been scoring well in practical tests. I'm certain I can get my 3rd class medical. My bro in law is a doctor and he said I could get a 1st class if I wanted. I'm blessed by being in great health.

The part that confuses me is that if I say I'm going for my sport, no medical to solo, but if I tell my CFI I'm going for private, then I will have to get a medical prior to soloing.

I'm flying a pipistrel alpha trainer which can be used for sport or private, so the same plane, the same pilot, but just because I say private vs sport will require a medical to solo. Is this accurate or am I missing something?
 
Tony R said:
I have about 12 hours and things are going well. I'm handling all phases of flight with little to no intervention from my CFI. He told me to knock out my written and get my iacra number.

I've been kicking around the choice between sport pilot and private. I've studied for both and been scoring well in practical tests. I'm certain I can get my 3rd class medical. My bro in law is a doctor and he said I could get a 1st class if I wanted. I'm blessed by being in great health.

The part that confuses me is that if I say I'm going for my sport, no medical to solo, but if I tell my CFI I'm going for private, then I will have to get a medical prior to soloing.

I'm flying a pipistrel alpha trainer which can be used for sport or private, so the same plane, the same pilot, but just because I say private vs sport will require a medical to solo. Is this accurate or am I missing something?
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A strict reading of the regulation says you need a medical to solo if you are pursuing a private pilot certificate, so your instructor is correct. However, if you go for sport and solo without a medical, there is nothing stopping you from "changing your mind" after you solo.
 
I was in the exact same boat as the OP. Flying LSAs and was undecided on sport vs PPL at the outset.
I did what DMSPilot mentioned: declared LSA so I could fly but then I ended up "changing my mind" well into training and decided to go for full PPL. Solo'd and did pretty much all training w/o medical.

The 61 school I was at didn't care either way and they didn't ask me to get my medical until I was ready to take the PPL checkride.
 
Tony R said:
I'm certain I can get my 3rd class medical. My bro in law is a doctor and he said I could get a 1st class if I wanted. I'm blessed by being in great health.
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If your BIL isn't an AME, he may well be unaware of the little gotchas in the medical application that make no sense medically. Read through the medical application, in particular section 18, and if any of the answers are "yes" get further advice before applying.

But you might as well continue on the Sport path. You can always upgrade later, and with the proposed rulemaking to expand Sport privileges in a few years you may never need a Private.
 
Unless you are in a Part 141 program, there is no FAA-based “going for.” You don’t have to “declare your major.” There is nothing preventing you from planning to get your private in an LSA from Day 1, meeting all private pilot solo prerequisites, and waiting to get your medical the day before the private checkride.

I am sure there are flight training operations which insist on a student who plans to get their private getting their medical before solo, but that’s the school’s policy.
 
dmspilot said:
A strict reading of the regulation says you need a medical to solo if you are pursuing a private pilot certificate, so your instructor is correct. However, if you go for sport and solo without a medical, there is nothing stopping you from "changing your mind" after you solo.
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I think you are overeading the “seeking” language in 61.23.
 
I think there is a significant practical questions in here. The differences between getting a sport vs private certificate come down to things like minimum cross country length and airspace. Both will affect what you and the school choose to do. You can certainly do longer cross countries and I guess you could get 61.315(c)(7) endorsement to deal with the airspace, but why bother at that stage if your only goal is sport? OTOH, if you are thinking “maybe private,” you want that experience. If your syllabus includes 61.109 tasks that are beyond sport limitations and you qualify for a third class, there doesn’t seem to be any good reason not to get it. And a potential administrative gotcha for both you and the flight school if you don’t.

I think that’s where the “seeking” language may come into play.
 
If you can get the medical, why wouldn't one get the PPL?
 
midlifeflyer said:
I think you are overeading the “seeking” language in 61.23.
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??? I, as well as the chief CFI/primary CFI at the part 61 flight school I was with, also interpret the FAR's as requiring at least a class 3 airman medical certificate prior to solo (unless glider/balloon/sport pilot). Have I been wrong?
 
If you don’t have a budget restriction,get the class 3 and ppl. Providing you can pass the physical.
 
You need the medical to solo a regular certified plane, but even if you’re training for a private, do you need the medical to solo in an LSA?

looks like the “spirit“ of the rules says it depends on what you are seeking. Kinda silly really.

Drivers license is good enough only if:
Exercising the privileges of a student pilot certificate while seeking sport pilot privileges in a light-sport aircraft
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Nothing says you can’t be seeking LSA now and then change your mind after you get a medical, which actually is logical.
 
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robin ardoin said:
??? I, as well as the chief CFI/primary CFI at the part 61 flight school I was with, also interpret the FAR's as requiring at least a class 3 airman medical certificate prior to solo (unless glider/balloon/sport pilot). Have I been wrong?
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If your flight school interprets it that way, you go with them. My question is : what form do you use to inform the faa which certificate you are “seeking.” Is is a required logbook entry? or are they reading your mind?
 
midlifeflyer said:
If your flight school interprets it that way, you go with them. My question is : what form do you use to inform the faa which certificate you are “seeking.” Is is a required logbook entry? or are they reading your mind?
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Ahhh...I see what you are getting at. I suppose it is up to the flight school/instructor to sort that out.
 
robin ardoin said:
Ahhh...I see what you are getting at. I suppose it is up to the flight school/instructor to sort that out.
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sure. As I mentioned, from a flight school/instructor standpoint, there are going to be syllabus choices based on the path the student chooses to take, especially post solo. It’s not that different than a flight school insisting students get the knowledge test completed before beginning any flight training,

But for the pilot who can’t decide? I’d say that if you can’t decide whether to go private or sport, you are “seeking“ the lower level until you decide to go to the higher level.
 
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