So I may be fulfilling a lifelong dream and getting pilot certification this year. The Sport Pilot option sounds a couple thousand dollars cheaper (and I am a bit tight on money at the moment, so every dollar matters) than getting a Private Pilot certification (and the Private Pilot cert only lasts 5 years; Sport lasts forever)…
…except that, there are hardly any, if any, Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) here in the Austin, Texas area that one could rent to fly solo (or with a passenger) afterwards.
It wouldn’t do much good to get a Sport Pilot cert and not have anything to rent to fly.
So is it generally worth it to go all the way to Private Pilot certification, if just for the sake of having far more aircraft models that one is legally permitted to rent, and fly?
If you don’t have ready access to LSP’s to rent, and you’re not planning to own one, then yes, you may be better off getting a full private pilot.
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Yes, it is a few thousand dollars more. Keep in mind, though, that there isn’t a defined time period in which to get your license, if it takes you a bit longer due to finances that is nothing unusual and you will have plenty of company in the rest of us pilots who took awhile to pay for our ticket. Right at the end, though, you’ll need to shell out a bit of money to pay for the pre-test practicing, the tests, and the examiner who administers them. Just be aware of that expense.
After I got my PP I never flew at night or did bunch of other things requiring a PP, really, I flew as a sport pilot even before the certificate existed. I had to learn a few extra things but that didn’t hurt me, even if I didn’t use them.
Another thing - if you get a PP you’ll need to pass a third class medical so get that taken care of early. Most people won’t have a problem with that, but check the requirements ahead of time so if there is an issue you can get the proper documentation lined up before you go in for the official exam.
Not as of last May 1. There are some restrictions on flying PP without a 3rd under the FAA’s BasicMed program but they probably won’t affect you.
LSA’s do, or should, cost less to rent, especially wet, since they generally burn automotive gas and at only have the gallons per hour of standard light singles. They do act a little twitchier on the controls than heavier planes but that’s just something to get used to. FBO’s with LSA’s for rent do exist, and fortunately there’s one near me. You might try checking the AOPA site for listings. But if that’s not an option, it’s not really a big deal to just get your private license. You’ll have it forever if you don’t do nothin’ stupid with it.
I haven’t instructed for a while, so I’m behind on some of the recent changes. Is this true? Since when does a PPL expire? For many years the only license that expires has been the CFI.
Some people confuse currency with expiration, but I’m not aware of anything on a five year schedule.
Really? I don’t want to hijack this thread, but could you point me to a something on that? One day I hope to have the spare change to fly again and I’m curious to know more about changes in the physical regs.
I was training to get my PP license and had about 70 hours into it when my daughter was born and the extra expense of daycare stopped me from completing it. I would note that a pilot has to fly a lot to keep the muscle memory were it needs to be, so to stay current year after year is going to be an added expense you have to deal with. A decade ago, I read an article that claim a person can expect to spend $8K a year to keep their PP license current. I imagine a Sport License could be supported for about half that. If you can’t find any planes to rent, you might look into fractional ownership if you can find other interested parties.
AIUI, a PPL never expires. My grandfather is still in the FAA’s Airmen Registry as a PP-SEL, even though he hasn’t flown privately since the 1970s. You do, however, need a Biennial Flight Review (BFR) logbook entry from a CFI (and probably some refresher training!) if you haven’t logged a flight since your last BFR.
BasicMed is great, as long as you were never denied an FAA medical, or had your medical revoked. I’m honestly surprised it made it into law without the Feds bloating it into impossibility with bureaucracy and administrivia.
According to this extensive and detailed FAQ from AOPA that I incidentally just discovered today: Pilot’s Guide to the Flight Review (PDF!)
you need a BFR every two years no matter how much flying you’ve done since the last one (I’m pretty sure I already knew that); and this DOES include a required hour of ground school with a CFI.
A Prive Pilot certificate lasts the rest of your life. You will need a medical (every 5 years under 40, then every 2 years, or you can do BasicMed every 4 years).
I cot my PPL and am working on my Commercial License now.