Sport to Private

Hi Brady-

   I did transition my first Sport Pilot student through his Private last year.  It was pretty simple, the flight maneuvers are not much different, and he had enough cross-country time after 2 years of flying a Champ and a Chief as a SP. 

   You will need 3 hours of Instrument and 3 hours of Night time, including 10 takeoffs and landings and a night XC.  Private written exam, and 3 hours of prep for the ride, as long as you have enough time logged (I assume you do since I've been reading your articles!!)  The upgrade should be a piece of cake,

                                                       Cheers, Tony

Hi Brady!

As a DPE, this past year I did three Sport Pilot to Private Pilot checkrides and all did very well.  There are several things that over lap between the two certificates so the checkrides are very simular. 

All of the applicants came from Skill Aviation in UGN and used a Evektor Sport Star.   You might be able to pick both instructors and student brains with one phone call!

Chris

Hey Brady,

I transitioned to PP last year after about 18 months as an SP to have access to more affordable airplanes to own.  If you received your initial SP training through a CFI, then all of your previous training hours count toward the PP, as does your XC time.  The only "new" skill that I had to learn was night flying.  Everything else you should already have down pat.  The knowledge test is a little longer and more difficult, but study will remedy that hurdle.  SP is just fine for some folks, but others will find it simply a nice stepping stone into higher levels of aviation.  At your age, it doesn't make any sense financial or otherwise NOT to make the transition.  Besides being able to fly your family around, you'll be providing GA with another pilot and potential aircraft owner.

Great choice, and best of luck,

Matt

Hey Brady

Good to see you're putting the training to use as well as pursuing the next level!  I've also considered moving to PPL myself but am effected by the recent clarification/ruling concerning training received by SP-CFIs issued by the FAA .  Unfortunately all of my training was conducted with a SP-CFI, who is working on his PPL-CFI rating.  Although the instructor and training received was top notch, almost all is deemed unusable towards PPL.  Only solo time and solo cross country, since I intentionally planned it to meet PPL requirements, will be transferable as it stand now. 

The good news is that all is not lost...the SP training received will help me personally towards the next level because I have proven I can do it., and that confidence and current skill level will go a long way in helping to acheive my next goal... I'll just have to spend a few more hours doing it according to the ruling.  I plan to pursue PPL/glider as my next step since it is very popular both in Italy and Florida where I spend 90% of my time.  And I believe a Sonex Xenos motor glider could be in my future as well...

Well good luck with the training if you decide to make the jump...hope to see another blog like the last one!

Take care,

Randy Dallas

"Besides being able to fly your family around, you'll be providing GA with another pilot and potential aircraft owner."

Ahem.  Sport Pilots are pilots, and can in fact own aircraft.

Back on topic:

Almost immediately on returning from my successful check ride my instructor said that he was looking forward to seeing me back next year for my PPL, since it's just night and instrument stuff.  My cross country flights were PPL distances.

No need to be defensive, Frank.  Of course SP's ARE pilots, and quite deserving of the title and admission to the brotherhood that is aviation.  My point was simply that GA, of which LSA is a smaller part, is in need of more activity to stay vibrant and robust.  In addition to training more folks to be pilots (witness efforts by EAA and AOPA) we also need folks to fly more often.  In my case, as with many others, the best way to do that was to purchase an airplane.  I can't afford new $100,000 sport planes (and they are very nice), nor did the performance of most of the legacy aircraft that were LSA eligible meet my personal needs.  Of course SP's can own airplanes, but you'll have to admit that you are MUCH more limited than a PP in your choices.  With aviation competing for the recreational family dollar, it is a lot easier for the average family to justify money spent on an airplane that can take the entire family on a vacation or a trip to see the grandparents, than it is on an LSA. 

Congratulations on your achievement, and I wish you fair winds and blue sky.  

Matt

We recently trained a sport pilot for the Private certificate.  He hadn't flown in 6 six years so we had to do some refresher, fly the longer cross countries, towered field,  instrument, night, written and prep for checkride. 

He had purchased a Ercoupe that was not LSA.  I think he thought it was LSA when he bought it.  We did training is his plane.  It  had rudder pedals.

Mitch