Thread: How sport pilot to private?

On Tuesday I will been doing my pre-solo, then if everything goes well my next fly I will doing some patter with my CFI and finally my solo this is on Sport Pilot program. From that moment on if I decide to better continue to the private pilot rating. What will be the difference in logging hours?.For example I know that the req for private is 20 Dual and 20 Solo correct?. So I do I keep doing my solos to complete my solo time or I have to stop my solo finish the other 5 Hrs(dual) and continue my solos? If not, How will we do the rest?. I am just realising that is not much of change I have been studying with the private pilot King school program , I know all the private Ground school, so I will not be no difference only on flying time.

You will need more solo time and more dual to equal the 40 hrs. for a private. If you take the sport pilot written then when it is time you will then have to take the private written. It is 60 questions verses the 40 on the sport pilot exam. It has more weather and instrument questions.

For the most part your presolo and local solo flights meet the Private pilot aeronautical experience requirements. The differences come when you are doing your solo cross countries. For Private pilot you will need to go a little farther on one of your cross countries, 150nm total distances vs 75nm total distance for sport. You will also have to make 3 full stop landings at a airport with an operating control tower as part of your solos. The additional dual instruction hours for Private are the night training and flight by reference to instruments training requirements. You can look up the requirements in FAR 61.109 if you need more details. Hope that helps you out, and good luck on your solo!

Eric
Copper City Aviation Services

Ok so If all goes ok on my pre solo and I decide to just go to the Private, I will just keep flying solo in till I finish my solo time and finish my dual in between my solo? Thank you for wishing me good luck Eric, I really need it

In addition to what the others have said, you'll need three hours of hood time. Also you'll need some night flight takeoffs and landings, though that can be waived if you won't be doing any night flying.

Jose, For a private you need 20 hours dual, 10 hours solo. and 40 hours total time. If the medical is not a problem and you don't mind flying the extra hours I would go for the private. If you do sport first and then decide to upgrade you will have to do an additional knowledge test and checkride. The big differences off the top of my head. You have to have some instrument training before cross country. A sport pilot cross country may not mee the requirements for the private. 1 extra hour of cross country flight training. 3 hours of night training inluding 10 take offs and landings and a dual cross country flight of 100 NM total distance, and 3 hours of instrument training. 5 hours of solo cross country. If you are thinking private I would go ahead and get the medical out of the way before solo. Tom

I took a similar route. I started back in 1970 on Private Pilot. Family came along and flying stopped. Last year in February I started again with my target being Sport Pilot. I got close to solo time in the LSA I was flying and the Instructor moved back to Norway and the plane went down for maintenance for a month. I had 30 hours in the book by then so I made a decision to move back to Private. It gives me options now if at some point I buy an LSA aircraft. Currently I'm renting a local Piper Archer for my flying. Good luck with the rest of your training.

Randy

Well guys thank you for the advice I just pass my pre solo and decide to go for the private. But I have a question now I need to get my 3rd class medical, I will do that on thursday but I have a Cold (Flu) Will I have any problem or sud I cancel that one and get another day?

Issues for Private transition:

* Written test (no big deal)
* Night dual time and night XC (fun)
* Instrument time (you should get some anyway)
* Sufficient solo time
* VOR and ADF navigation
* 3rd Class medical (may or may not be a big deal, YMMV, etc)

All in all, it should take you 5-6 flights with an instructor.

Doug