Back in the sky!

Anchorage, Alaska-Nov.19--Today I had the opportunity to call the local Anchorage Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) they are the regulation and enforcement arm of the Federal Aviation Administration here in Alaska.
For those of you who are not familiar with the difference between ultralights and Light Sport Aircraft as designated by the FAA you won't understand the rest of this posting. But for those of you who do read on.

I wanted to amend my airworthiness certificate beyond the Jan. 31, 2010 deadline and called to make an appointment with the FSDO to trigger a Letter of Deviation Authorization.

This came after I read a post on the Web site Trike Pilot from Paul Hamilton who quoted the Experimental Aviation Association's Sport Pilot and Government Affairs page with info about a two-step process to change the E-LSA airworthiness certificate expiration date from Jan. 31, 2010 out in to the future (see http://www.eaa.org/news/2009/2009-11-05_trainers.asp).

This would allow me to continue to use my E-LSA WSC (weight shift trike) for instruction. Although I am not instructing, due to the lack of insurance offered here in Alaska, I may in the future want to offer instruction (when I can get a Designated Pilot Examiner to give me a check ride/practical test) or I may wish to sell my Antares MA-33 R582 and purchase a newer better supported S-LSA trike.

After speaking with two inspectors at the FSDO I determined that they had no idea what I was talking about. To be honest this was what I expected, and thought that I would be their first LODA customer.

After being told that because I built the Antares that I could not qualify for the instruction rating on my operation limitations as a manufacturer my fears were realized.

They had no idea what I wanted.

So as not to lay blame here I told the inspector that I would be happy to let him research what I was opting for and that he could call the FAA 610 Branch to find out what was needed.

To his credit he did inquire further and called me back and informed me that he was working on another project and that we could get together next week to continue this process.

The moral to this post:

If you have an E-LSA with Operation Limitations that include instruction in your aircraft, be it a Powered Parachute, Weight Shift Trike, or a Tri-Axis SEL aircraft don't expect miracles yet.Be patient.

As I get more information I will pass it along to the Alaska Sport Pilot community "Blue Skies"!

Sport Aviation in AK...a deadlock

No insurance, no Sport Pilot!

Enthusiasm for Sport Aviation in Alaska is high, but where are all the instructors and aircraft? It might be years, before Alaska will see the affects of the sport flying boom, according to local aviation and insurance officials.

"Right now the emphasis in Alaska is on getting airworthiness certificates for Experimental Light Sport Aircraft," said FAA certified DAR John Davis.

These two place "fat ultralight" aircraft must be registered by their owners by Jan. 31, 2008, or they will be illegal to fly after Jan. 31, 2008, according to FAA regulations.

When the Sport Pilot initiative that allows a pilot's license on 20 hours of instruction using a third class medical, or a valid drivers license became effective on Sept. 1, 2004, there were several deadlines imposed.

One for pilots with previous experience, that allowed them to transition with a letter of experience from either the Experimental Aircraft Association, Aero Sports Connection, or the United States Ultralight Association, after taking the FAA Sport Pilot knowledge test and a practical flight test.

The second was a deadline imposed that after Jan. 31, 2007 pilots would need a minimum of three hours of instruction with a valid Sport Pilot Instructor before being able to take the SP Practical.

The third and most onerous is the Jan. 31, 2008 deadline that forces all two place fat ultralights to transition into Experimental Light Sport Aircraft, or they become expensive non-flyable lawn ornaments.

These former FAR Part 103 aircraft once N-numbered can now only be flown by FAA certified pilots who possess a Sport Pilot License, or have received a Proficiency flight check from a Certified Sport Pilot Instructor, or Sport Pilot student pilots who have a log book endorsement by a Sport Pilot Instructor. So make no mistake, if you see what looks like an Ultralight, and they are using an N-number to identify themselves in the the pattern, they are now Experimental Light Sport Aircraft flown by licensed pilots.

Sport Pilot numbers in Alaska are growing slowly and the two new types of aircraft, weight shift, and powered parachutes, added to the list of Light Sport Aircraft can be seen flying in Alaska's skies, but the numbers pale in comparison to places like California and Florida.

Special Light Sport, and Light Sport Aircraft, or LSA's are turn-key certified N-numbered aircraft that are a two-place, fixed pitch, or ground adjustable propeller aircraft licensed with a certified gross weight of 1,320 pounds or less, (1430 lbs. for float planes) a maximum stall speed of 51 m.p.h. (45 knots), a maximum speed of 138 m.ph. (120 knots) in level flight at maximum continuous power, using a single reciprocating engine.

The popularity of ultralights were their low price tag in the $15,000 range before Sport Pilot passed. The new SLSA, and LSA aircraft range from $40,00 to $120,000 thus requiring financing.

The requirement of hull type insurance by banks who loan money to buy LSAs, and the State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' Title 17 regulations that govern state owned airports are the hurdles for growth in Alaska.

"Until LSA's can be insured, bank loans will likely not be available to purchase them," said Mike Kradowski, a Soldotna based aviation insurance salesperson.

A poll of company's that sell aircraft insurance that will not insure Alaskan based Light Sport Aircraft proved the point.

AirSure in Soldotna, Avemco, AIG, Falcon, and First Flight recently all rejected applications for insurance on ELSA, Special Light Sport Aircraft , and Light Sport Aircraft.

"Everything looks good on the applications until you get to that little box that you need to check if you fly or keep your aircraft in Alaska," said Lloyd Hood a weight shift Sport Pilot from Palmer. "Once you check that box, you've disqualified yourself from even getting a quote."

Instruction on learning how to fly ELSA, SLSA, or LSAs is also stymied by the insurance issue...the State of Alaska DOT requires liability insurance to give flight instruction on their airports.

To date no U.S. based company will issue liability insurance for instruction in an ELSA, or LSA aircraft in Alaska.

Without liability insurance instruction can only be done on privately owned airports like North Pole's Bradley Sky Ranch. Currently there are two Sport Pilot instructors, and one DPE that work from that location which is thriving with sport aviation activity.

So to instruct, an FAA certified Sport Pilot Instructor is forced to fly in his own, or his student's aircraft illegally on DOT airports, or fly from a privately owned or remote airstrip.

This effectively takes Sport Pilot instruction into a rather risky zone, one that will limit the growth of Sport Pilot in Alaska until regular established flight schools embrace the movement.

But despite these challenges a local Designated Airworthiness Representative who has inspected and certified 45 ultralights into the Experimental Light Sport Aircraft category says that Sport Pilot is on a roll.

"I have done 45 inspections and have about 15-20 more to do before the deadline," said Davis. "The emphasis by this group will now shift to getting their Sport Pilot license."

The requirements for these pilots who have previous flight experience, some of whom were Basic Flight Instructors in ultralights, will force them into taking 20 hours of instruction to be eligible to legally fly their newly transitioned aircraft after the Jan. 2008 deadline.

To date in Alaska there are only four Sport Pilot Instructors, and three Sport Pilot DPE's listed in the FAA's instructor/DPE registration on the FAA website.

Instruction can only be done in a Light Sport Aircraft to be eligible for a Sport Pilot License. The FAA did allow for instruction to be done in Experimental Light Sport Aircraft, but that privilege must be listed in the aircraft's operation limitations for certification and will expire in 2010.

Rob Stapleton can be reached at: 907-230-9425, rob@alaskasportpilotcenter.net, or www.alaskasportpilotcenter.net