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Aviation has given me much more than the
opportunities to smell crisp air and see
vistas that few people on Earth ever
witness. From a temporal standpoint, it has
made my world smaller. I can travel hundreds
of miles in any direction in just a couple
of hours. I make trips in three hours that
require a full day of driving for the people
on the roads far below. Aviation has given
me exhilaration, freedom, and confidence in
my ability to take on challenge. Until
recently, people had to endure extensive
training, usually stretched out for as long
as a year, before they could join the ranks
of pilots. Training costs could easily top
$10,000 and rarely clocked in at less than
$7,000. The new Sport Pilot Rule does away
with all of this and places flight within
the reach of nearly anyone who seriously
wants to learn. The total cost will be about
half the cost to obtain a private pilot
license.
Sport pilots are aviators who fly for the
shear fun of it. They can go on long trips,
visit friends in other states, and thrill in
the views only seen from the air. Sport
pilots only fly in good weather and only in
daylight. They share their passion with just
one passenger at a time. And they only fly
light single engine aircraft that qualify as LSA (light sport aircraft). These aircraft
are safe, reliable, and smaller and less
complex than their larger brethren.
Although sport pilots can receive extra
training and become "endorsed" to fly in
busy airspaces, they tend to stay in the
wide open places. Places where radios are
used for safety, but are not required for
self defense. Because sport pilots fly
simple aircraft, in uncongested airspaces,
in the daytime when visibility is good, they
can avoid some of the training needed to
tackle more complicated scenarios.
Sport pilot training is complete and
suitable to the type of fun flying that many
people crave. If you are one of these
people, this is what I want you to do:
(1) Click on "Aircraft".
This will give you an idea of some of the
types of aircraft you can fly.
(2) Next, take a look at the "Pilots"
page. Study the requirements. Can you comply
with these? Does the training seem like
something you'll look forward to?
(3) If you know what type of aircraft you
want to fly, a land airplane for example, go
on to the "Library"
and print out the appropriate
Practical Test
Standards. We have abridged and
annotated some of these to help you out. It
is imperative that you become familiar with
the document.
(4) Your training involves knowledge and
aeronautical work. Print out this
summary
document.
(5) Begin your actual training right
here. Proceed to the "Training"
page and work your way through the
multimedia lessons. While this isn't
everything you need to know, it does cover
the major areas. Be prepared to take each
lesson several times - everything in them is
"must know" information.
(6) Locate an instructor and fly!
(7) Join in the message forums and
network with other students as well as
instructors.
Learning to fly becomes a lifelong
passion for many people. Will you become one
of them? If you do, I'd be proud to think that I
was one of the people who helped you get started.
Good Flying! - Russell Still, Master CFI |
