If you have an interest in the Sport Pilot rule or in the rights of sport flying in general, please go to this EAA site and sign this petition to ask the OMB to release the proposed SPORT PILOT AND LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT RULEMAKING PACKAGE FOR PUBLICATION AS FINAL REGULATIONS. http://www.eaa.org/govt/petition.asp
Dick Hartwig Waunakee, WI rhartwi...@juno.com ******************************* If you have an an interest in Sport Pilot, then you should actually read the NPRM and and the public comments that were made, prior to "knee jerk" signing of a "petition" FAA site - http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/sportpilot/overview.cfm Public Comments (type in 11133) - http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm NPRM EAA has a lot of money invested in this "program". They are not unbiased. OMB , the Office of Managment and Budget as ESSENTIALLY rejected the proposal TWICE. The first time two years ago, and, just recently The medical aspect is not the problem. The problem is with the "new" category of pilot and aircraft. The increased regulations and cost of over 40 million dollars to impliment over a 10 year period that could be well spent on increased education, oversight, and an easing of STUPID regulations such as the 51% Am Built rule. A simple NO medical provision for Rec. Pilot with associated increased limitations to airspace would suffice. (a two tiered Rec. Pilot...one WITH medical and lesser privileges without medical. The SAME aircraft would be available for training and use. (180 hp 4 place but only 2 passengers permitted) The hierarchy of Pilot Certificates and medical requirements is already in place. ie; An ATP is required to have a 1st class medical. If that expires without renewal in 6 months, he may then only perform the functions of Commercial Pilot. When that expires in 1 year, he may then act only as a Private Pilot/Rec. Pilot. If after 2-3 years he does not get at least a 3rd class medical, then he could be allowed to fly under a no medical Rec. Pilot limitation. A simple decreasing of privileges that could be easily written into the Rec. Pilot privileges and limitations FAR. Initial no-medical Rec training could be in those aircraft that are already available to Rec. Pilot students. (180 hp 4 place or less) There is no need for separate pilot categories for weight shift and Powered parachutes. They may ALREADY be flown under Private Pilot and Rec. Pilot certificates. Weight shift could easily be covered with simple endorsements. AND, those "Aircraft" (weight shift) may already be registered under experimental airplane or glider guidelines. Those individuals that ONLY want to learn in weight shift (far and few between) and not be obligated to demonstrate proficiency in three axis airplanes have already been able to do it......in both glider and airplane categories. They have to really search for an instructor and examiner, .....but what the hell........they are a very small minority and should not influence the vast majority. If the market is there, then there will be more weight shift CFI's. Sport Pilot kills the ultralight infrastructure by eliminating the instructional exemptions while increasing the costs and regulatory burdens. Ultralight flying serves as a feeder into G.A. It's economic impact is important. And finally, by FAA's own statement, Sport Pilot is an attempt to decrease the numbers of "illegal" nonregistered aircraft and Pilots, While at the same time, FAA states that they do not intend to increase the already non-existant oversight and enforcement of any regulations. If FAA already has problems with "fat" ultralights, what are they going to do about all of the "fat" Sport Planes or non-Certificated pilots flying them? Fourty Million Dollars could buy a lot of increased pilot education. And improve FAA's ability to oversee and enforce current regulations. They want to save lives, improve safety and promote aviation.......that's how to do it. Chuck Scrivner Private Pilot ASEL and Private Pilot Glider Ultralight Flight instructor KR-2 owner Experimental Glider owner 2 Place exempted U/L trainer owner Airport Owner
