Ultralight Trike Pilots
If you are a ultralight trike pilot who was registered as a ultralight trike student or pilot with an FAA-recognized training exemption holder – EAA, ASC or USUA, before January 31, 2008, you can use your aeronautical experience (flight hours) obtained in trike ultralight vehicles (no FAA N-number) to meet the experience requirements to obtain a sport pilot, private pilot and flight instructor (CFIS) certificate to fly a weight-shift control light-sport aircraft (LSA) in accordance with FAR 61.52. This ultralight time is good until January 31, 2012.
This means that you can use time flown in an ultralight trike vehicle to meet the sport pilot certificate hourly experience requirement. For example, 18 of the total 20 hours minimum flight experience required for sport pilot-WSC (weight-shift control) could be flown in an ultralight trike vehicle. However, the flight time must be flown after the date you registered in the ultralight registration program, and properly logged per FAA requirements for logging flight time.
Any flight instruction you have had from a ultralight trike flight instructor should also be properly logged and endorsed by the ultralight trike flight instructor in the same way as an FAA CFI would endorse your student logbook after a flight lesson. The flight instruction you received from an ultralight trike flight instructor can be used to meet the flight proficiency requirements specified in FAR 61.311, 61.109, and 61.411. To verify that you were a registered ultralight trike pilot, you need to get a copy of your certified ultralight training records from the organization that you were registered with.
If you are a registered ultralight trike pilot, these are the steps to getting your sport pilot certificate:
- Request your training records. Obtain a copy of your ultralight pilot records letter from the FAA-recognized organization you are registered with.
- Obtain endorsement from FAA CFI prior to knowledge test or use the Prepware test prep.
- Successfully pass a FAA sport pilot knowledge test administered by an FAA testing facility.
- Log 2 hours of flight training with FAA CFI in preparation for practical test no more than 2 calender months prior to practical test.
- Obtain endorsement from FAA trike CFI prior to practical test.
- Successfully pass a FAA sport pilot practical test, which includes an oral and flight test administered by a sport pilot examiner (SPE).
Use the Sport Pilot Locator to find a pilot, flight instructor, or school near you.
