Light sport aircraft training

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IlyaK18

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IlyaK18
Hello, So I have been considering getting a Sports License. Requires less hours, little cheaper. Just wanted to hear some opinions on the topic, of whether its worth it or to go with the Private Pilots. Also if anyone knows of a good flight school with LSAs near the NYC area, maybe within a 2 hour driving distance. Thank you !
 
If you search the previous forums that topic has been covered , even with a discussion of NY area schools.
 
Nothing wrong with SPL if your mission is just to do some fun flying on nice days with just yourself of, at most, one pax. My friends and I all fly (flew in my case) LSA for different reasons:

Mike has a medical issue.
Zip likes to rent a new airplane for the cost of a beater 172.
I like the vis in the CTLS for my son and the Luscombe just happens to qualify. Though these days I stick to the club's 172/182.
 
IlyaK18 said:
Hello, So I have been considering getting a Sports License. Requires less hours, little cheaper. Just wanted to hear some opinions on the topic, of whether its worth it or to go with the Private Pilots. Also if anyone knows of a good flight school with LSAs near the NYC area, maybe within a 2 hour driving distance. Thank you !
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That's the route I went. I wanted to be able to fly me and the Ms.'s as soon as possible and that was a great route for me.
 
frfly172 said:
If you search the previous forums that topic has been covered , even with a discussion of NY area schools.
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Would you have a link to that thread by any chance ? Thanks !
 
IlyaK18 said:
Hello, So I have been considering getting a Sports License. Requires less hours, little cheaper. Just wanted to hear some opinions on the topic, of whether its worth it or to go with the Private Pilots.
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Depends on your ultimate goal. If it's to fly LSA's, within all the limits and restrictions on them, or you have a medical problem which prohibits getting an FAA Third Class medical certificate but still permits Sport Pilot flying, then going for Sport Pilot makes sense. If you already know you want to fly aircraft beyond the LSA limits, then going down the PP training track makes more sense. If you're not sure, then maybe the best plan is starting the Sport Pilot route but making sure you're training with a CFI with an Airplane, not just Sport Pilot, instructor rating (so all your training counts for PP requirements) who understands your goals.
 
Consider this. First off, 20 hours is minimum for LSA as 40 is min for PP. In many cases, you may well exceed those numbers. It is dependent on the student learning and the CFI(I) teaching. Put in the time, maybe 2 or 3 sessions a week, and you MIGHT cut down on the time.
Money is a factor.
Weather is a factor.
Aircraft availability is a factor.
Instructor availability is a factor.
Your availability is a factor.
Check out what you can legally do with a LSA. If those limitations fit your needs, then go for it. You can always move up to PP later. If not, go with PP, put in the time and energy and you may get out of it nearly as cheaply. Then again, there is nothing cheap about flying including the MIC MUFFS we use (plus $13 shipping!).
 
Don't expect to get it done in half the time. Compare the actual requirements to see what you can "skip" - it's a short list.

Time spent witn a Sport Pilot only Instructor won't count towards a private later on.

Worth it depends on what you want to do.
 
john has a good point, the hours are minimums. you are still learning to take off, fly and land a plane. I don't know what the realistic differences in time are between SP and PP when all is said and done. Also, flying in a 150/152 probably doesn't cost much more than zipping around in a light sport.
 
There are several LSA instructors in the mid-west and their rates are quite a bit less than the coastal instructors. I did my transition training in LaMars IA and was very pleased.
 
rbridges said:
john has a good point, the hours are minimums. you are still learning to take off, fly and land a plane. I don't know what the realistic differences in time are between SP and PP when all is said and done. Also, flying in a 150/152 probably doesn't cost much more than zipping around in a light sport.
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Training in a Jabiru, time to solo has averaged about 50% more than my PPL students in Cessna 150s and Cherokee 140s because it's more demanding of good rudder skills. That ultimately pays off in developing good stick-n-rudder skills, but it can frustrating for some students.
 
LDJones said:
Training in a Jabiru, time to solo has averaged about 50% more than my PPL students in Cessna 150s and Cherokee 140s because it's more demanding of good rudder skills. That ultimately pays off in developing good stick-n-rudder skills, but it can frustrating for some students.
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+1....
 
If you have no medical issues, there is virtually no reason for an SPL, go with the PPL.
 
bartmc said:
If you have no medical issues, there is virtually no reason for an SPL, go with the PPL.
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Except it is being sold as a cheaper alternative which I suggest is not necessarily a truism. Take my helicopter add on for instance. Where it may be possible to complete the transition in 30 hours, in reality, I am about double that (hovering was a real problem) and still see a few more hours to go. And it's not that I do not put the time in, have you ever done an autorotation? That's been another sticky thing to get over.
So while you may have great takeoffs, you could get stuck on landings. You could get stuck on regs. Or like a friend of mine, get an instructor who just could not teach her AND claimed she'd NEVER EVER be a PP. Switched schools after 70 hours, put in another 20 and got her PP.
So you never know.
 
LDJones said:
Training in a Jabiru, time to solo has averaged about 50% more than my PPL students in Cessna 150s and Cherokee 140s because it's more demanding of good rudder skills. That ultimately pays off in developing good stick-n-rudder skills, but it can frustrating for some students.
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This. Developing good solid stick-and-rudder skills during the first 20 hours or so.
That is what is important. Whether you're going for Sport or Private. Spend your initial time and money developing fundamental pilot control skills instead of trying to hurry up and get a Private at 40.
 
Don't think you want to find a place thats 2 hours away that will be so hard to train like that.
 
marcoseddi said:
Don't think you want to find a place thats 2 hours away that will be so hard to train like that.
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Around NYC that might be a good option though. Flying out of a busy airport around NYC has a few major disadvantages.
1. You will be spending quite a lot of money on holding short.
2. Due to all the traffic everything is rushed, you won't be able to taxi onto the runway and spend 10-20 seconds making sure everything is good to go. And that's something you might want to do when learning how to fly.
3. It's a lot more dangerous. There are almost no safe emergency landing spots and much higher chances of a mid-air.

So perhaps driving for two hours to an airport that's located out of the city might be cheaper overall (and safer).
 
silver-eagle said:
Except it is being sold as a cheaper alternative which I suggest is not necessarily a truism. Take my helicopter add on for instance. Where it may be possible to complete the transition in 30 hours, in reality, I am about double that (hovering was a real problem) and still see a few more hours to go. And it's not that I do not put the time in, have you ever done an autorotation? That's been another sticky thing to get over.
So while you may have great takeoffs, you could get stuck on landings. You could get stuck on regs. Or like a friend of mine, get an instructor who just could not teach her AND claimed she'd NEVER EVER be a PP. Switched schools after 70 hours, put in another 20 and got her PP.
So you never know.
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This is the key to your decision.

If you have the aptitude to operate your aircraft of choice before you reach 40 hours and you have no desire to fly at night or carry more than one passenger, Sport Pilot will fulfill your mission. If it takes you 30 hours to solo, then you might as well get a PP unless you have a medical issue. Before I decided to buy, I originally decided to train for PP for no other reason than aircraft availability. No desire to fly at night or take passengers and I need more airplane than most of the ultralights I've seen, which are dodgy at best.
 
http://www.midislandair.com/CONTACT/Contact.php

Looks like a decent school with a choice of 3 different LSA's to learn in.

As for getting your SP ticket in general.. I think it is a great idea. I am a SP and own a LSA. I love the ability to fly by myself or with my wife or another friend and go anywhere I want to. I have flown long cross countries from Colorado to Florida, Oshkosh (three times), Arizona, etc in my plane. I have my class B/C/D endorsements and can operate from almost every airport a private can in the States (LAX and a few other crazy busy ones I cannot but wouldn't want to). I don't want to fly at night. A good guess at how many hours it may take to get your ticket is to look at your age. I know for many folks it takes somewhere near their age in total hours to complete. It is doubtful you would complete it in the minimum time but equally unlikely you would complete a PP in the minimum either.

As for the planes themselves, it is great to learn in a modern plane. If you decide to buy a plane you have a lot of choices for some really nice planes.

Good luck in your training!

Carl
 
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