Light Sport News

"If flying a Cessna or a Warrior is like driving a Ford Taurus, flying a light sport is like driving a Porsche," says Bruce Schwartz of Deerfield, a glider pilot who is getting his sport-pilot certification after trying larger aircraft.

Light sport is a new category of aircraft introduced in 2004 by the Federal Aviation Administration. Defined by restrictions such as the aircraft's total weight and maximum flying speed, the small one- or two-seat airplanes require less flight training than larger planes for pilots to gain certification.

Rich Maclsaac, flight school manager at Northampton Aeronautics at Northampton Airport, says the intent of the FAA's action was to entice more people to try aviation. "Because there are fewer required hours, one could expect that it would cost them significantly less in both time and money than the private pilot's license," he said.

There are now more than 50 LSA models on the market, selling for prices ranging from $60,000 to $120,000, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wis., which is one-quarter to one-half the cost of a traditional airplane. Still, the planes are equipped with the latest technology, including safety features such as ballistic parachutes.

"They are small and this particular airplane has kind of a happy look to it," says Maclsaac. "A lot of people relate it to Jay Jay the Jet Plane, but in fact, it's a real aircraft and it's a highly technically advanced aircraft."

Many light sports are also much more fuel-efficient than a standard general-aviation aircraft, Maclsaac says. They have smaller engines, he adds, but because they are more aerodynamic they can produce the same speeds and climb performance as larger airplanes.

Schwartz says he tried larger aircraft - the Cessnas, the Pipers, the Warriors - but found flying the light sport more enjoyable. "It was more like flying a glider," he said.

Other aviators are attracted to light sport flying because the medical requirements are less rigid. One can be refused a private pilot license for using certain prescription medications, for example. But in the case of light sport, a valid driver's license is all that is needed.

Leon Malinofsky of Northampton, who has been a pilot for nearly 20 years, is a licensed commercial pilot who is restricted now because he does not qualify for a full medical certificate.

"The light sport aircraft has been a godsend," he says. "It's allowed me to get back into the air. Flying is something I've loved with all my heart for a very long time."

Although MacIsaac hasn't seen a dramatic rise of interest in light sport at his Northampton business, he believes it will soon catch on.

"The light sport rating is still relatively new," he says. "It takes time to get the word out." He notes that two of the largest general-aviation manufacturers in the world, Cessna and Cirrus, are producing a light sport aircraft that will be available within the next couple of years. "I think that provides a lot of legitimacy to the light sport market," he says. "And certainly, when they place an investment in that type of an airplane, they are looking for the long term and it bodes well for the light sport category."

Used with permission from the Daily Hampshire Gazette.