Private Pilot Glider to Sport Pilot

[iAlex]

To start off I only have a Private Pilot Glider rating. No additional ratings yet. If I choose to go the sport pilot route to fly powered aircraft I'm curious whether the FAA written and practical tests are required. Reading through CFR 61.321 and the Sport Pilot FAQ's on the AOPA website seem to indicate that the written and practical test with a DPE is not required in my case. Instead it looks like I need a logbook endorsment from a CFI and then perform a proficiency check with a separate CFI, fill out paperwork and send to the FAA, make an additional logbook endorsment that I passed the proficiency check and then good to go to fly LSA.

Am I reading the CFR correctly or is there something I am missing?

 

[Kenny Phillips]

I think that's correct. You are limited to light sport aircraft, of course.

 

[FormerHangie]

I'm rated for private pilot single engine land, and am interested in flying a weight shift control trike. My instructor tells me that to get sport pilot privileges in the trike is just what you said, get an endorsement from your instructor that you are proficient, and then do a flight review with another instructor, and then I'd have sport pilot privileges for weight shift. I'm thinking the same will be true going from private pilot glider to sport pilot single engine land.

If possible, find an instructor who is a regular CFI rather than a CFI-S. That way, if you later decide you want to get your PPASEL, all the instruction you took getting your sport pilot privileges counts towards your PPASEL. I think that instructors who are CFI-S rated only are fairly rare anyway.