Sport to Private PTS Specifics – LSA Pilot Training | Paul Hamilton's Sport Aviation Center LLC

In an effort to understand the differences in sport pilot training and private pilot training standards, the following ASEL Sport to Private additional/different PTS requirements comparison reference is provided.

This is not really that important but provided so you can look at the exact differences. As you will see, most of the flying, stick and rudder, tasks are the same.

I. PREFLIGHT PREPERATION

A. Certificates and documents
- 1(a) Sport pilot verses private pilot privileges and limitations.
- 1(b) Sport pilot “medical eligibility” rather than private pilot medical certificate class and duration
- 1(c) same
- 2 same
B. Airworthiness Requirements
- 1(a) required instruments and equipment for day VFR rather than sport pilot privileges.
- 1(b) adds MEL
- 1(c) private adds (c) obtaining special flight permit [no sport pilot (c)]
- 2(a) Private uses airworthiness directives which only apply to the airplane standard category aircraft. Must assume this means “safety directives for SLSA and ELSA”.
- 2(b) Private adds “compliance records”
C. Weather Sport Pilot is generic for weather services but private lists all the Surface analysis chart, winds aloft, significant weather prognostic charts, convective outlook, METAR, TAF, FA plus AWOS, ASOS, and ATIS Sport adds 3 and 4 for avoiding and exiting IMC
D. Cross country flight planning same but private adds “explaining a pre-planned VFR cross- country flight, as previously assigned by the examiner. On the day of the practical test, the final flight plan shall be to the first fuel stop, based on maximum allowable passengers, baggage, and/or cargo loads using real-time weather.” Otherwise, the same
E. National Airspace Private specifically adds Basic VFR weather minimums, operating rules, pilot certification, and aircraft equipment for each airspace B, C, D
F. Operations of systems Private adds “10. Environmental. 11. De-icing and anti-icing.”
G. Aeromedical Private added scuba because above 10,000 but did not include hypothermia maybe because of heating systems in most Standard category
J. Performance and Limitations Tasks listed are different but mean about the same thing
K. Principles of Flight Private pilot does not have “K. Principles of Flight” probably because this is covered in the private knowledge test and not in the sport pilot written.

II. PREFLIGHT PROCEDURES

A. Preflight Inspection (same)
B. Cockpit Management – private adds secured items (2)
C. Engine Starting – Sport adds “awareness of other persons” and “accomplishes correct starting procedure”
D. Taxiing (same)
E. Taxiing and sailing (same)
F. Before takeoff check – Sport has (7) “Completes checklist…” and private has (4) “Ensures engine temperature…” same intent

III. AIRPORT OPERATIONS

A. Radio communications
1. Sport is without operating control towers and private adds “control towers and ATC light signals”
2. same
3. same
4. private adds “complies with instructions” from towers
B. Traffic Patterns
1. Private adds “with control towers”
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
C. Airport signs/markings lighting
1. same
2. same

IV. TAKEOFFS, LANDINGS, and GO AROUNDS

A. Normal and crosswind Takeoff and Climb
- About the same but in general the private specifies liftoff and accelerates to Vy, where sport lifts off and climbs at the same airspeed.
- Private adds noise abatement and checklists to procedure.
B. Normal and Crosswind Approach and Landing
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. private pilot adds “Makes smooth timely ……” 6. sport -same
7. sport same
8. sport same
9. sport same
Private adds 11 completes checklist

C. Soft field Takeoff and Climb

same
same
same
same
same
same
same
same
same

D. Soft Field Approach and Landing
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. same
8. same
Private adds 9 completes checklist
E. Short Field Confined takeoff and Maximum Performance Climb
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. same
8. same
9. same
10. 1same
11. same
12. same
Private adds 13. completes checklist
F. Short-Field Approach and Landing
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. same
8. same
9. same
10. same
11. same
Private adds 12 checklist
K. Forward Slip to Landing
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. same
Private adds 8. checklist
L. Go-Around Rejected Landing
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. same
Private adds 5. retracts landing gear and 9. checklist

V. PERFORMANCE MANEUVERS

A. Steep Turns
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same

VI. GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS

A. Rectangular Course
1. same
2. same but sport adds “selects suitable emergency landing area”
3. same except Private has a ceiling of 1000 feet AGL and sport is minimum of 600 feet AGL
4. same
5. same
6. same
B. S-Turns
1. same
2. same but sport adds “selects suitable emergency landing area”
3. same except Private has a ceiling of 1000 feet AGL and sport is minimum of 600 feet AGL
4. same
5. same
6. same
C. Turns Around A Point
1. same
2. same but sport adds “selects sutable emergency landing area”
3. same except Private has a ceiling of 1000 feet AGL and sport is minimum of 600 feet AGL
4. same
5. same
6. sport adds exit heading (no private 6.)
7. Private same

VII. NAVIGATION

A. Pilotage and Dead Reckoning
1. same
2. same
3. same
all the rest the same except sport adds 5. enough fuel and private adds 4. Navigates by means of pre-computed headings, groundspeed, and elapsed time., 5. Corrects for and records the differences between preflight groundspeed and heading calculations and those determined en-route., 7. Arrives at the en-route checkpoints within five (5) minutes of the initial or revised ETA and provides a destination estimate.
B. Diversion (Sport) C. Private
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
Private adds complete Task of “B. Navigation Systems and Radar Services”
C. Lost Procedures
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same

VIII. SLOW FLIGHT/STALLS

A. Maneuvering Slow Flight
1. same
2. same but sport minimum AGL 1000 private 1500
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
B. Power-Off Stalls
1. same
2. same but sport minimum AGL 1000 private 1500
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. same
8. same
C. Power-On Stalls
1. same
2. same but sport minimum AGL 1000 private 1500
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. same
8. same

BASIC INSTRUMENT MANEUVERS Private Pilot adds complete section This is a big section which includes a number of flight tasks, plus radio and navigation communications EMERGENCY OPERATIONS (IX Sport X Private)

A. Emergency Approach and Landing
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. 7 Private adds the use of checklist
B. Systems and equipment malfunctions
1. same
2. same but Private specifically drops ballistic parachute system (which should be added for any private pilot flying LSA)
3. same
C. EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT AND SURVIVAL GEAR
- Sport pilot specifies specific areas such as desert, water, mountain, end extreme temperature changes

NIGHT OPERATION Private Pilot adds complete section POSTFLIGHT PROCEDURES

A. After Landing, Parking and Securing
1. same
2. same
3. same
4. same
5. same
6. same
7. same