Taking a Shortcut for a Piloting Career

Achieving a piloting career has never been an easy thing. A person has to go through, years of extensive training, hectic examinations, and unbelievable expenses in his journey of becoming an airline transport pilot. Many students start their journey with a Private Pilot License (PPL), but for many, the cost incurred with the PPL is a little high at the beginning. For those, a Sport Pilot License (SPL) will be the lifeline. We dedicate this article to providing more ground on the sport pilot certificate. 

Cost Factor

If the cost factor is more prominent and if you are looking for a cost-effective means, laying your stepping stone with a sport pilot license would be ideal. A usual private pilot training program may cost you somewhere around $10,000 and a sport pilot training program cuts the cost by almost 50%. 

Moreover, in sport pilot training, a student gets the chance to complete his training earlier when compared to the private pilot training. 

How to Start and Claim the License

Regardless of the intended license category, a student should apply for a student pilot certificate, which permits him to fly solo during the training. For attending ground schools, there is no requirement of any certificate. A student should possess the below qualifications to qualify for a student pilot certificate offered by the FAA,

• At least 16 years old,
• Able to speak, read, and understand the English language.

Once training has been completed, the student should possess 20 flight hours comprising of 15 hours with an FAA-certified flying instructor, 05 hours of logged flight hours under solo flight, and 02 hours of cross-country flying. Then the student gets his opportunity for a check ride with an FAA-designated pilot examiner. If the check ride goes well, the student is eligible for a sport pilot certificate. 

Medical Requirements  

A third-class medical certificate was the minimum requirement for piloting. But in the light sport aircraft category, no medical certificates are required, having a driving license is adequate as medical proof. 

Capabilities of a Sport Pilot License

Sport pilots are authorized to fly light sport aircraft with only two seats and the maximum allowable gross weight is 1,320 lbs. The aircraft should not be equipped with a retractable landing gear. As sport pilot training does not cover nighttime flying, sport pilots are not allowed to fly at night. 

With the issuance of a sport pilot certificate, pilots are eligible to fly in Class E and G airspaces. If a pilot wants to operate in Class B, C, or D airspaces, special training along with an endorsement should be fulfilled. Regardless of the additional training, sport pilots are not allowed to fly in Class A airspaces. 

Can Sport Pilots Carry Passengers? 

Yes, they can! A sport pilot is allowed to fly aircraft with only two seats, hence only one passenger is allowed to carry on board. 

Taking the Next Step 

As mentioned in the beginning, acquiring a sport pilot license is a shortcut. A student can lay the stepping stone into piloting and the next step is to grab the private pilot license. Completing a short training that does not cost heavy, and passing a third-class medical certificate, qualify the pilot for a private pilot license fast-tracking the entire process with a lesser overall cost.