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LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 21st 18, 03:36 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?

It appears that the FAA might be upping the weight limit on LSA aircraft. One of the main limits holding back marketable gliders from being LSA eligible was the low Vne. If they are opening up the LSA rules for more change, and changing to more of a risk-based rulemaking we should be able to argue that Certified gliders have high Vne limits, and the risk is low.


Is there anything the gliding community wants to get done if new rules are posted in January 2019?


reference:

"high-ranking FAA source has confirmed that the FAA plans to almost triple the maximum weight for most light sport aircraft to 3600 pounds in rulemaking that will be introduced in January. The source confirmed the scant details of a Facebook post written by AOPA Senior VP of Media and Outreach Tom Haines from the AOPA Regional Fly-In at Carbondale, Illinois. “Great news out of AOPA: your freedom to fly Fly-in at Carbondale,” Haines wrote. “In January the FAA will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking increasing max weight for a light sport airplane from 1320 lbs to 3600 lbs."


https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/new...-231639-1.html

Chris
  #2  
Old December 21st 18, 03:49 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Posts: 478
Default LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?

On Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 9:36:54 PM UTC-5, wrote:
It appears that the FAA might be upping the weight limit on LSA aircraft. One of the main limits holding back marketable gliders from being LSA eligible was the low Vne. If they are opening up the LSA rules for more change, and changing to more of a risk-based rulemaking we should be able to argue that Certified gliders have high Vne limits, and the risk is low.


Is there anything the gliding community wants to get done if new rules are posted in January 2019?


reference:

"high-ranking FAA source has confirmed that the FAA plans to almost triple the maximum weight for most light sport aircraft to 3600 pounds in rulemaking that will be introduced in January. The source confirmed the scant details of a Facebook post written by AOPA Senior VP of Media and Outreach Tom Haines from the AOPA Regional Fly-In at Carbondale, Illinois. “Great news out of AOPA: your freedom to fly Fly-in at Carbondale,” Haines wrote. “In January the FAA will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking increasing max weight for a light sport airplane from 1320 lbs to 3600 lbs."


https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/new...-231639-1.html

Chris


The main thing that matters is not getting sucked in to the sport rules. we have no medical, sport pilots need a drivers license and can't have an unresolved medical denial on their record. The only benefit I can see is if more gliders qualified as LSAs it would be worthwhile for more people to get the sport glider license. Advantage with that is for rated power pilots sport glider could be added with a proficiency check by another CFI no checkride needed. Cheaper and easier to schedule. Otherwise I don't think it helps and if all gliding got punted to sport we'd lose freedom on the medical side.
  #3  
Old December 21st 18, 05:56 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
SoaringXCellence
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Default LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?

Regarding the "drivers license" comment: In the US, you don't have to have a drivers license to fly, but you do have to have "current, valid, government issued photo id" on your person. If not a Drivers license, then an unexpired passport, ID card or military ID.

MB
  #4  
Old December 21st 18, 07:05 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Frank Whiteley
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Default LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?

On Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 7:49:58 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 9:36:54 PM UTC-5, wrote:
It appears that the FAA might be upping the weight limit on LSA aircraft. One of the main limits holding back marketable gliders from being LSA eligible was the low Vne. If they are opening up the LSA rules for more change, and changing to more of a risk-based rulemaking we should be able to argue that Certified gliders have high Vne limits, and the risk is low.


Is there anything the gliding community wants to get done if new rules are posted in January 2019?


reference:

"high-ranking FAA source has confirmed that the FAA plans to almost triple the maximum weight for most light sport aircraft to 3600 pounds in rulemaking that will be introduced in January. The source confirmed the scant details of a Facebook post written by AOPA Senior VP of Media and Outreach Tom Haines from the AOPA Regional Fly-In at Carbondale, Illinois. “Great news out of AOPA: your freedom to fly Fly-in at Carbondale,” Haines wrote. “In January the FAA will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking increasing max weight for a light sport airplane from 1320 lbs to 3600 lbs."


https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/new...-231639-1.html

Chris


The main thing that matters is not getting sucked in to the sport rules. we have no medical, sport pilots need a drivers license and can't have an unresolved medical denial on their record. The only benefit I can see is if more gliders qualified as LSAs it would be worthwhile for more people to get the sport glider license. Advantage with that is for rated power pilots sport glider could be added with a proficiency check by another CFI no checkride needed. Cheaper and easier to schedule. Otherwise I don't think it helps and if all gliding got punted to sport we'd lose freedom on the medical side.


Sport pilot is limited to 10,000MSL, LSA glider flown by Private (or higher) glider rated pilot is not altitude limited. There would be little interest in the sport rating in much of the country because much soaring is done above 10,000MSL.

Those who've looked into LSA glider designs suggest that bringing an LSA/SLSA to market would cost as much as a TC'd glider, so why bother with LSA/SLSA? Experimental trainers might have a reasonable market in clubs. TC'd two-seaters are needed for ride concessions. There are barriers to re-certifying SLSA aircraft as TC'd aircraft. Of course, FAA rules have shifted some, so what was impossible previously may be doable now or in the future.

Frank Whiteley
  #5  
Old December 21st 18, 02:58 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?

On Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 11:56:08 PM UTC-5, SoaringXCellence wrote:
Regarding the "drivers license" comment: In the US, you don't have to have a drivers license to fly, but you do have to have "current, valid, government issued photo id" on your person. If not a Drivers license, then an unexpired passport, ID card or military ID.

MB


You need a drivers license in lieu of a medical to fly as a sport pilot(and no unresolved denials of a FAA medical). It is a separate requirement from needing to carry a gov't issued photo ID when flying in the USA. Intent was to have some medical standard, supposed to make sure sport pilots aren't totally blind and not too many drunk driving arrests.
I had forgotten about the 10K limit that rules out the West. We can use sport rules if they help in some circumstance but I wouldn't go asking to get lumped in with sport pilot rules soaring has it better and we should stay separate.
One interesting sport rule that might work for glider CFIs with sport or private airplane privileges is it then becomes pretty darn easy to become a sport airplane CFI. No commercial or instrument rating needed, checkride can be done as a proficiency check. Total time requirements are low as well. 61.411
(i) 100 hours of flight time as pilot in command in powered aircraft,
(ii) 50 hours of flight time in a single-engine airplane,
(iii) 25 hours of cross-country flight time,
(iv) 10 hours of cross-country flight time in a single-engine airplane, and
(v) 15 hours of flight time as pilot in command in a single-engine airplane that is a light-sport aircraft.
  #6  
Old December 22nd 18, 12:24 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Default LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?

The bigger point I was trying to make was that the sport pilot rules are being reevaluated next year and there may be some opportunity to adjust rules including the 10,000 foot rule.
I've just been surprised that nobody has shown any interest in making adjustments to the LSA rules to fit soaring better.
Chris
  #7  
Old December 22nd 18, 02:36 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Frank Whiteley
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Posts: 2,099
Default LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?

On Friday, December 21, 2018 at 4:24:49 PM UTC-7, wrote:
The bigger point I was trying to make was that the sport pilot rules are being reevaluated next year and there may be some opportunity to adjust rules including the 10,000 foot rule.
I've just been surprised that nobody has shown any interest in making adjustments to the LSA rules to fit soaring better.
Chris


Can you point me to this agenda?

Frank Whiteley
  #8  
Old December 22nd 18, 03:04 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
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Posts: 478
Default LSA weight limit increase, good for gliding?

There is no reason to bother. If they did away with the no medical denial, altitude restriction, and VNE restriction the only thing we would gain is transition pilots could get a rating from a second CFI instead of a DPE. Soaring has a pretty sweet spot hiding out from all sorts of rules. No reason to go stick your head up where it can get shot off.
 




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