Expert: David Bidwell - 6/28/2005

Question
I have a few questions on the sport and recreational pilot requirements.

For a recreational pilot:
1. After completion of a practical test to receive the certificate, does the pilot need an additional endorsement to fly within 50nm of the original airport. How does that work? Far's are not to clear on that...... I know you have to have an endorsement for beyond 50nm, but I dont know within 50nm. FAR 61.1019(B) says that you have to......?

2. For the 3 hours of solo flying for the recreational pilot certificate, does the student just get the student pilot certificate to achieve those 3 hours, or is there a different way of doing it. I know for Private pilot, you just get a student pilot certicate to achieve those hours, is it the same for a recreational pilot?

For a Sport Pilot:

1. To be an instructor for sport pilots, you have to receive an endorsment and a practical test to do so, correct? If I receive a initial flight instrcutor certificate, I can only train for private and commercial.....I can not train for sport pilot unless I get that rating, correct?


2. 61.323 talks about a different set of aircraft, what are they refering to?



TSA-Where can I find what I need to do with the TSA before begining training with a student? ALso, doesnt the flight instructor have to do training on there website before beginning flight instructing.....I could not find anything in the FAR's about it, please direct to where I can find that out....


Thanks for all your help, I truly appreciate it
Korey Mote

Answer
Hi Korey,
I cannot adequately answer your question regarding sport Pilot or recreational.  These are two certificates that I feel are dangerous and I do not believe in them, therefore, I am not your best source.  I believe that these certificates have very little training requirements and as a flight instructor makes me vulnerable to law suits.  Therefore I will not train for them.  However, I can tell you that as a certified flight instructor, you can train students for these should you choose to do so.

As for the TSA training, try this site: http://download.fsa.dhs.gov/fssa/training/#

Good Luck,
Dave