Sport Pilot SSA comments

Anyone interested can see the SSA comment letter on the Sport Pilot proposal this last day of the comment period May 6

I'm in a hotel room with a 14,400 connection at the moment and unwilling to wait out a download of the actual proposal, but if memory serves, the FAA document says 10,000 feet or 2,000 agl, whichever is greater. That said, I agree with Jim's comment that gliders in the sport category should have a higher limit (for western conditions in particular).

I think it's a great letter which covers all the areas of concern. I hope the FAA concurs.

Raphael Warshaw 1LK

Hi Raphael and all,

While not disagreeing with the desire to see gliders given a more liberal height limitation, I see their point.

By limiting the alt to the 10,000ft level, issues of oxygen equipment and training are avoided. IF that's the intent, then I would think a proposal for adjustment for gliders would have to be supported with a rational of how that could be addressed.

Chris (No, not a FAA flag waiver, but you've got to see both sides of a negotiation)

Just to be clear, I think the idea of 'sport' gliders will fly with the 10,000 foot limit + 2000 foot clearance for terain

Perhaps a bigger worry for FAA is a potential increase in traffic up there without ATC control. I've seen hang gliders at 17,000 over the Whites though and assumed that they were legal.

Can anyone clarify the regs on hang gliders at those altitudes?

Raphael Warshaw

I wasn't aware that hang gliders were under the control of the FAA. Other than the normal restrictions for airspace (that apply to all), I am not aware of any regulations at all. I would like to hear about them also.

Armand

They are great fun to buzz underneath real close at VNE.... stop spoiling my fun. I also have a buddy that does loops around them if he catches one..

I have no objection to the hang gliders being there. I was just wondering if there were any regs that apply.

Raphael Warshaw

Well, if it isn't Class A,B, C or D airspace, hang gliders at 17,000 are perfectly legal. There's a high altitude area near Albequerque, NM, where (by prearrangement) hang gliding to 22,000 feet is legal.

Tim Ward

Yes, hang gliders are fine as long as they stay below the Class A at 18,000 ft. They're also subject to 'prior permission required' in most other airspace except for E and G. And yes, they are required to use oxygen, and they do (there may have been exceptions in the old days, I've heard rumors...)

So the new Sport Pilot reg would be more restrictive in that regard than Part 103 is now. I'm not clear, though, on whether the new reg is expected to replace Part 103 or to be separate from it. Still, I'd be annoyed if I had a spiffy streamlined light sailplane and was restricted to 10,000 while the bodies in the breeze were above me at 17,000!

I thought the altitude restrictions were for the new sport pilot certificate - not the new light sport aircraft airworthiness certificate...

Oh,tres cool! Make a habit of that, and the hang-folk are bound to discover that their craft can be ballasted with shotguns. You've done it again, Al: Here, we've all been wracking our brains to figure out how soaring might attract some major media attention... WTG, Ace!

8)