On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 19:23:19 GMT, "Lakeview Bill"
wrote:

As far as converting an Experimental aircraft into an Experimental Light
Sport Aircraft, allow me to SPECULATE...

I would GUESS, that you would first need to de-register the aircraft and
"turn in" the airworthiness certificate. At that point, you could then
modify the aircraft to meet the eLSA specs and then go through the eLSA
certification process.

I'd expect that's pretty close. You can't just try to re-register an existing,
licensed airplane as an Experimental Light Sport, due to 21.191(i)(1). Like you
illustrate, you have to present a "new" plane.

But if it works on a currently-flying Experimental Amateur-Built...geeze, it
should work on a Standard category plane, too.

Buy a flying Aeronca Champ. Cancel its registration, then go through and
replace its data plate with your own. Then show up at the FAA and request
Experimental LSA licensing.

It should be no less (or, for that matter, no *more*) legal than trying the same
process with an existing Experimental. The FAA is more likely to be suspicious,
though, so you'd have to lay down a lot better cover story.

Ron Wanttaja