FAA Sport Pilot Airplane (SPA)RegulationsMedium
A sport pilot holds privileges in single-engine land airplanes and wants to fly a weight-shift-control aircraft owned by a friend. What must this pilot do before acting as PIC of the weight-shift-control aircraft?
- AReceive additional training and a logbook endorsement for the weight-shift-control category and class from an authorized instructor
- BNothing additional, since the sport pilot certificate automatically covers all light-sport aircraft categories
- CObtain a private pilot certificate before flying any different category of aircraft
- DLog at least 5 hours of solo flight time in the new aircraft before carrying passengers
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Receive additional training and a logbook endorsement for the weight-shift-control category and class from an authorized instructor
Under 14 CFR 61.31, a pilot must have an appropriate category and class rating or, for sport pilots, receive additional training and a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor before acting as PIC of a light-sport aircraft in a different category and class, such as switching from airplane to weight-shift-control.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Sport pilot privileges are limited to the category/class in which training was received.
- C. A private pilot certificate is not required; additional training and endorsement suffice.
- D. There is no fixed 5-hour solo requirement tied to category/class transitions.
Category/Class Endorsement (61.31)
A sport pilot must receive training and a logbook endorsement for each additional aircraft category and class before acting as PIC.
- Applies under 14 CFR 61.31
- Endorsement must be from an authorized instructor
- Privileges are limited to endorsed categories/classes only
Memory trick: New category, new class, new signature needed.