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04/07/06 - FAA ADMINISTRATOR BLAKEY LAUDS EAA FOR ITS SPORT PILOT EFFORTS
During her “Meet the FAA” presentation today at the Sun ’n Fun Fly-in in Lakeland, Florida, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey singled out EAA and EAA President Tom Poberezny for the organization’s work in the past year to advance the sport pilot and light-sport aircraft community.
“We cannot thank you and EAA enough for all the work you have done,” Blakey said. “Your efforts have been the driving force behind the [sport pilot] rule and its implementation.”
Blakey spoke in favorable terms about the growth of the sport pilot movement since January 2005. FAA actions since then have included conducting eight pilot-examiner courses, adding 54 sport pilot examiners to those examiners who already had sport pilot privileges. FAA has also conducted seven courses to train and authorize seven designated airworthiness representatives (DARs) for light-sport aircraft (LSA). This effort generated 43 new DARs specializing in LSA.
In this same time period, FAA has certificated 254 LSA - a group comprising new factory-built special light-sport aircraft (S-LSA), as well as two-place or “fat” ultralights converted to registered LSA by their owners as stipulated in the sport pilot regulations.
“The buildup of the sport pilot infrastructure still has a ways to go, but we’re clearly off to a good start,” Blakey said.
Having worked with government and the general-aviation community for 10 years to make sport pilot a reality, EAA has worked in earnest to continue promoting this new category of aircraft and pilots. These efforts include:
- Helping to achieve industry consensus standards via the ASTM process;
- Promoting sport pilot’s potential to CFIs, and giving them tools for incorporating sport pilot into instructors’ training arsenal;
- Using the Sport Pilot Tour to invigorate EAA chapters’ interest and begin spreading the word in the general-public and outdoor-enthusiast marketplace;
- Reinforcing safety and security considerations;
- Collaborating with manufacturers, flight schools, insurers, lenders, and training providers to help them market services for prospective sport pilot aviators; and
- Advocating continued refinement and precision in defining the sport pilot rule.
EAA will continue to highlight the possibilities available in the sport pilot community and work to bring the dream of recreational flight to those who wish to participate. | 
