How To Get A Sport Pilot License
Becoming a sport pilot is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make your dream of flying a reality. This is an outline of the steps involved in obtaining your sport pilot license/certification so you can fly light sport aircraft (LSA).
- Start ground and/or flight training from a Certified Flight Instructor with sport rating (CFIS), or a regular Certified Flight Instructor (CFI).
- Obtain student pilot certificate to solo from a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), local FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), or from an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) while obtaining a third-class medical.
- To solo, have CFI or CFIS train per Part 61 requirements and take an exam on aircraft specifics and airport procedures/regulations. The instructor then endorses Student Pilot certificate for make/model and provides appropriate logbook endorsements/limitations to solo.
- Receive endorsements to take knowledge test (this can be through home study or from a CFI or CFIS.
- Pass FAA knowledge exam (computer based). (Typically known as “written” test)
- Meet the knowledge and flight proficiency requirements in Parts 61.309 through 61.313 from a CFI or CFIS which includes 15 hour dual (10 hours for PPC) and 5 hours solo (2 hours for PPC) solo for airplane and weight-shift control trike light-sport aircraft.
- Receive and log 2 hours flight training 2 months before checkride (practical test) in preparation for “checkride” and obtain endorsements for practical test (checkride) from CFIS or CFI on form 8710-11.
- Pass the checkride (practical test) with a Designated Pilot Examiner for Sport Pilots DPE/SPE based on the Practical Test Standards (PTS).
- Receive Sport Pilot Certificate and logbook endorsements to fly specific category/class of LSA.
Next: How long will it take?
