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So how do you become a Sport Pilot?  The answer lies in part with where you are now in your aviation experience.  There are four categories of Sport Pilot Wannabes:

1. New Students:  You have either never flown before or have done some flying but do not have any ultralight or FAA ratings.
2. Registered Ultralight Pilots:  Your ultralight registration must be current.
3. General Aviation (GA) Pilot: You have a Recreation Pilot's certificate or higher. 
4. Resources:
   1. To prepare for the Knowledge Test:
      1. King Schools Sport Pilot Knowledge Test Course if you need a complete ground school solution, or
      2. Sport Pilot Prepware & Book from Adventure Productions, if you just need a refresher
   2. To prepare for the Practical or Proficiency Checkride:
      1. Practical Test Standards with Change 1
      2. Latest FAR/AIM
      3. Sport Pilot Checkride book
      4. Sport Pilot Checkride DVD
      5. FAA-H-8083-25, Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
      6. FAA-H-8083-3A, Airplane Flying Handbook
      7. Cincinnatti Sectional Chart
      8. AFD-NE (Northeast Airport Facilities Directory)

      Don't let this "laundry list" scare you.  View the Checkride DVD and study the Checkride book and PTS diligently.  Study the Sectional Chart legends carefully so that you know your way around a sectional chart.  As you go through the PTS you should note that every section references one of the resources above.  You should review the references well enough so that you know where to  find the information you need.  Remember, the Practical is open book so you don't have to memorize everything -- just know where to go to find the answer.

You should know that Precision Windsports has a qualified Sport Pilot CFI and Examiner along with an N-numbered aircraft, so we are ideally suited to help you make your transition to Sport Pilot no matter where you fall in the processes described below.

New Students:

To fly the new AirBorne trikes you need to have either a student pilot certificate with appropriate endorsements (this allows you to fly solo) or your Sport Pilot certificate with weight-shift endorsement.  So how do I get my Sport Pilot Certificate?

The FAA requires you complete the following to get your Sport Pilot Certificate:

Registered Ultralight Pilots

Your transition requires you to see a SP-CFI for 3 hours of flight training and the written Knowledge test before you see the DPE.  The steps are:

1. Take your UL Pilot training records (you get these from the organization you registered with) to an FAA Test Center and take your written Knowledge Test.  We recommend you use King Schools Sport Pilot to prepare for this test.
2. Make sure that you have met the aeronautical experience requirements (click here to find out what they are).  If you are short any of the requirements make sure to talk to an instructor to find out how best to get them taken care of.
3. Take your UL Pilot training records and your written test results to a SP-CFI for a minimum of 3 hours of flight training (you need to have a total of 15 hours dual by the time you are done) and 2-3 hours of ground instruction.  Get his endorsement stating you are ready for the Practical Test (PTS).  Note -- an instructor's endorsement for the PTS is only good for 60 days.  If you don't take the PTS within that 60 day period you will have to go back to the instructor for another 3 hours and another endorsement.  Click here to download our syllabus for the PTS prep.
4. Within 60 days of completing step 3 above take your UL Pilot training records, your written test results, your SP-CFI endorsement, and your pilot logbook to a Sport Pilot Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and take the PTS. Precision Windsports has a DPE with an N-numbered trike making this very easy.

General Aviation Pilots

You don't need to take the Knowledge test but you do need to train with a SP-CFI and receive his training endorsement.  There is no set "minimum" time for you -- once the SP-CFI is satisfied you are ready for the Proficiency Check (PTS) he can endorse you.  Then, with the first SP-CFI's endorsement, you must find a second SP-CFI (or a DPE) with an N-numbered trike and take the PTS.

Summary

 That's all there is to it.  The hardest part is often finding the Sport Pilot instructors and/or DPEs with N-numbered aircraft, but that will get easier.  Precision Windsports offers one of the easiest paths to Sport Pilot rating in trikes.  We can outfit you with an N-numbered trike and get you solo-qualified and ready for your PTS.  For those of you ready for the PTS we can give you the practical in our own N-number XT-912.  Since we offer concentrated training you can be solo qualified in five to ten days (depending on the weather and your capabilities).  Then you can use your new aircraft to practice for your PTS and build up your hours.

For the current listing of Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) and Designated Airworthiness Representatives (DARs -- they inspect your plane and issue the airworthiness certificate) go to:

•     CFIs:    http://www.usua.org/Instructors/BFI.html
                 http://www.sportpilot.org/instructors/index.html
•     DPEs:   http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/sport_pilot/media/wsc_examiner.pdf
•     DARs:   http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/designees_delegations/media/DAR Lightsport.pdf

More questions?  Feel free to contact us at 434-851-6804 or info@precisionwindsports.com.

Happy Flying!

FOR SERIOUS RECREATION

Send mail to terri@precisionwindsports.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 09/05/08