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Aircraft Requirements
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5. Aircraft Requirements
“We enjoy the world’s most accessible, safest, least expensive,
and easiest-to-use general aviation environment. It’s our
system and it needs our support. While no one agrees with all
the rules, the system as a whole is the best available.”
- Irvin N. Gleim
Since one of the most common complaints that we hear in
regard to the certification of aircraft is that it is “so confusing,” we
suspect this may be true for you as well. Therefore, this chapter is
designed to provide you with the knowledge and practical information needed to register and get an airworthiness certificate for
your aircraft. We have attempted to simplify the explanations and
to provide aid to help with the process.
Our first goal is to provide you with enough information to
help you access the different aircraft categories and understand the
advantages and disadvantages of each. Second, we provide a checklist for the process of certificating and registering your aircraft.
In his book The 8th Habit, Steven Covey writes, “When you
have a challenge and the response is equal to the challenge, that’s
called success.” It is our hope that this chapter will provide you
with the tools to allow your response to equal the challenge.
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Ultralight Aircraft
Ultralights that meet the definition of 14 CFR Part 103.1,
may continue to fly under Part 103 and do nothing. The following
is a summary of the requirements to qualify.
Note that Part 103 ultralight-like aircraft may not be registered as Experimental Light-Sport. You may, however, add fuel
capacity above 5 gallons, or increase
the weight to equal or exceed the 254-pound definition of an ultralight to qualify.
All ultralight aircraft that do not meet the requirements of
FAR Part 103 will need to be converted to Experimental Light-
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Sport aircraft. (See “Transitioning Aircraft” in this chapter). As we
mentioned, the deadline for doing this is January 31, 2008. Any
aircraft not converted by this date will no longer be eligible to be
converted and will be considered parts. Be aware that the process
for converting your aircraft may take some time. Do not wait until
January 15th, 2008 to start the process.
This means that if you have a “fat” ultralight that is in pieces,
you need to rebuild the aircraft, make it flyable, get it registered
and certified prior to this date or you will have to sell it as parts.
The procedures for converting your aircraft are covered in detail
later in this chapter.
The following picture of the Hurricane is a typical example
of an ultralight that will no longer qualify as an “ultralight” under
Part 103 and will be required to comply with the requirements for
obtaining an experimental light-sport airworthiness certificate. In
the future, all aircraft like this will have a certificate from the manufacturer that will allow you to
build the aircraft and certify it
as an experimental light-sport
aircraft. After
2008 no other aircraft except those that have a certificate from the
manufacturer will be allowed to be certified as experimental lightsport aircraft.
Additionally, it is expected that the FAA will no longer be
looking the other way with regards to “fat” ultralights, and Part
103 places the responsibility on the owner of an ultralight to show
compliance:
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CFR 14 Part 103.3
(a) Any person operating an ultralight vehicle under this part
shall, upon request, allow the Administrator, or his designee, to
inspect the vehicle to determine the applicability of this part.
(b) The pilot or operator of an ultralight vehicle must, upon
request of the Administrator, furnish satisfactory evidence that
the vehicle is subject only to the provisions of this part.
We use to jokingly say that if an aircraft meets the definition
of a true Part 103 ultralight then it was probably not safe to fly. In
reality, there are many true Part 103 ultralights that are fine and safe
flying machines, but in order to meet the weight requirements they
do indeed have to be very simple aircraft.
While hunting through all of our photos (over 600) from Sunn-Fun 2004 for an ultralight that would be a good example, we
thought it was interesting that this was the only one that looked as
though it would qualify as a true Part 103 machine.
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Light-Sport Aircraft Certification
There are several ways that an aircraft could be certificated
and fall within the guidelines to allow it to be operated as a “LightSport Aircraft.” We will summarize these here and the explain each
in detail later in this chapter.
1. Standard Category
Examples of aircraft that have be previously built as standard
category aircraft, (Normal, Utility, Aerobatic, etc.), include Piper
J-3 Cub, Taylorcraft, and Ercoupe. Aircraft that meet the definition of light-sport aircraft, may operate under the rules for light
sport aircraft and may be flown by Sport Pilots. These aircraft may
be used for sport and recreation, flight training for hire or rental.
2. Primary Category
The only primary category aircraft currently operating is the
Quicksilver GT-500. This aircraft fits the definition of a LightSport aircraft and may be flown by a Sport Pilot. This aircraft may
be used for sport and recreation, flight training for hire or rental.
3. Experimental: Amateur-Built
Experimental Amateur-Built (home built) aircraft require more
than 51% of the aircraft to be built by the owner. Examples that
may operate under the rules for light-sport and be flown by Sport
Pilots include Peitenpol Air-camper, Zenair CH-60. These aircraft
may be used for sport and recreation, but they may not be used for
flight training for hire or rental.
4. Experimental: Operating Light-Sport
Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft (ELSA). There are three
posibilties for certification:
(a) Existing Ultralight-like Aircraft
These aircraft are the existing fleet of ultralight-like aircraft
that do not meet Part 103. These aircraft may be used for sport
and recreation, flight training for hire until 2010.
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(b) New Aircraft-Built From a Kit
These kits meet a consensus standard and may be built by the
owner or the factory. This aircraft may be used for sport and recreation. And may not be used for flight training for hire, or rental.
(c) Previously Certificated as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft
These are aircraft that were operated as a Special Light-Sport
Aircraft, but are being converted back into an Experimental LightSport Aircraft. These aircraft may be used for sport and recreation. But once converted back to (ELSA) the may not be used for
flight training for hire or rental.
5. Light-Sport Category
Special Light-Sport Aircraft (SLSA). These aircraft are factory built to a consensus standard and are ready to fly. The only
aircraft to fall under this category are the aircraft referred to as
“Special Light-Sport Aircraft” (SLSA). The FAA will issue a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category for factorybuilt, ready-to-fly, light-sport aircraft that may be used for sport
and recreation, flight training for hire or rental.
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Standard Category Aircraft
Standard category aircraft that meet the definition of lightsport aircraft, such as some models of the Ercoupe, the Piper
Cub, or some Aeronca Champ models remain standard category
aircraft. (Refer to the list on the following pages.)
You cannot modify (e.g. via propeller change STC) an aircraft
to meet the definition of light-sport aircraft.
The airworthiness certificate on a standard category aircraft
cannot be changed to special light-sport (SLSA) or experimental
light-sport aircraft (ELSA).
If a certified standard category aircraft qualifies as a lightsport aircraft then it will be listed in the summary of eligible aircraft
As time goes on more aircraft will receive type certificates. As
each of the aircraft are type certificated, the FAA will add them to
the list.
You may act as pilot in command of these certified aircraft
with a sport pilot certificate, recreational pilot certificate, or higher.
Sport pilots are allowed to perform preventative maintenance
on standard category aircraft that they own, the same as private
pilots. However, certified aircraft that meet sport pilot eligibility
must be maintained by a qualified A&P mechanic. You will not be
able to take the 16-hour repairman course to complete your own
annual inspections.
Certified aircraft can be used for hire, flight instruction and
rental.
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Existing Certified Aircraft
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Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
Aeronca
11AC
11BC
50-C
50-F
50-S
50-TC
50-TL
60-TF
65-C
65-CA (L-3F)
65-TAF
65-TAL
65-TC
65-TF
65-TL
7AC
7BCM
7CCM (L-16B)
7DC
C
C-2
C-3
CF
K
KC
KCA
KF
KM
KS
L-16A
L-3
L-3D
L-3J
O-58A (L-3A)
O-58B (L-3B, L-3C)
PC-3
S-50-C
S-50-F
S-65-C
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Aeronca S-65-CA
Aeronca YO-58
Ercoupe (Univair) 415C
Ercoupe (Univair) 415CD
Interstate S-1 Cadet
Interstate S-1A
Interstate S-1A-65F
Interstate S-1A-85F
Interstate S-1A-90F
Luscombe 8
Luscombe 8A
Luscombe 8B
Luscombe 8C
Luscombe 8D
Piper
E-2
Piper
F-2
Piper
J-2
Piper
J-3
Piper
J3C-40
Piper
J3C-50
Piper
J3C-50S
Piper
J3C-65
Piper
J3C-65S Seaplane
Piper
J3F-50
Piper
J3F-50S
Piper
J3F-60
Piper
J3F-60S
Piper
J3F-65
Piper
J3F-65S
Piper
J3L
Piper
J3L-65S
Piper
J3L-S
Piper
J3P
Piper
J4
Piper
J4A
Piper
J4B
Piper
J4F
Piper
L-4
Piper
L-4A
Piper
L-4B
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