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09/02/04 - DISCOVER AVIATION IN LESS TIME AND COST: EAA HELPS PEOPLE ENJOY FLYING THROUGH SPORT PILOT
EAA celebrates new rule now in effect; will influence new generation of flight
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. - (Sept. 2, 2004) - A major new dawn in recreational aviation rose on Sept. 1, as the new sport pilot/light-sport aircraft regulations become effective. The Experimental Aircraft Association, which has worked for a decade to make the new categories of pilots and aircraft possible, predicts the new regulations will bring forward a significant increase in both pilots and aircraft.
“These new regulations, commonly known as ‘sport pilot,’ create one of the most significant developments for general aviation in the past half century,” EAA president Tom Poberezny said. “The reason EAA worked so hard on this for its members and all of aviation is because sport pilot is the place we will see the next generation of aviators. It is aviation’s future.”
The Federal Aviation Administration officially unveiled the new regulations in Washington, D.C., on July 20. FAA and EAA then had the opportunity to explain and discuss the opportunities available within sport during the EAA AirVenture, the world’s largest annual aviation fly-in and convention, held in Oshkosh, Wis. on July 27-August 2.
Since that time, EAA has received thousands of calls from members and aviation enthusiasts, who are eagerly anticipating being a part of the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft community. On the first effective day of the rule, Sept. 1, EAA also received reports of pilots immediately enjoying flight through the sport-pilot provisions.
“It is very rewarding to hear of pilots taking advantage of sport pilot opportunities on the first day possible,” Poberezny said. “While there is considerable interest among current pilots in the medical certification provisions of sport pilot, the questions EAA has received covers the entire range of topics affected by the new rule, including new aircraft, where to find flight instruction, current airplanes that are eligible, and much more.
“EAA is dedicated to being the leading source of information and guidance for those looking to sport pilot as the way to fulfill their own dreams of flight through lowered cost and time barriers.”
Some of these personal stories will be available at EAA’s sport pilot web site at www.sportpilot.org. The web site also offers in-depth news and reports for new pilots, current and lapsed pilots seeking to fly as a sport pilot, or ultralight pilots looking to make the transition to sport pilot. EAA also offers a monthly magazine, EAA Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft, that is a thorough source of news and entertainment within these new categories.
Under the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft regulations, pilots learn basic, safe flying skills and may be approved for their flight test after a minimum of 20 hours of training. Currently, a minimum of 40 hours is needed to test for a private pilot’s certificate, as there are a number of additional flying skills, such as night flying, that are not a part of sport pilot qualifications.
In addition, since sport pilot training can take place in lighter, lower-powered aircraft that cost less to operate, the per-hour cost of flight training is reduced.
“Getting wings just got considerably less expensive with one stroke of the pen. And on top of that, light-sport aviation just got considerably safer,” said FAA Administrator Marion Blakey when she announced the rule in July.
EAA is continuing to lead the effort to establish the full sport pilot infrastructure as well, heading industry-wide committees that are establishing light-sport aircraft standards, helping current and former pilots discover how to fully enjoy flying as a sport pilot, and providing complete background for all the available possibilities.
EAA, The Leader in Recreational Aviation, is an international association with 170,000 members and 1,000 local chapters. To join EAA or for more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. |
