Flight Training - December 2019 - 18

PREFLIGHT ASK AOPA

BY CRAIG BROWN

AVIATION HISTORY

LIGHT SPORT LOWDOWN

PRIVATE PILOT PRIVILEGES VERSUS
SPORT PILOT PRIVILEGES
Q: I own an Aeronca Champ, model 7AC, and hold
a sport pilot certificate. Am I permitted to perform
preventive maintenance, such as oil changes, on my
Champ?
A: No, you are not. You have no preventive maintenance privileges with this airplane. Although the
Champ meets the criteria of-and can be flown as-a
Light Sport airplane, it is certified in the Normal category. And since you are not a private pilot, you cannot
perform nor approve for return to service any preventive maintenance.
Like many other models, the Aeronca Champ was
identified in 2004 as an airplane that meets all the
criteria of the Light Sport rule (1,320 pounds, two seats,
fixed gear, 120 knots VNE); however, it is not issued a
special airworthiness certificate in the Light Sport category. In other words, it looks like a Light Sport airplane,
and can be flown under the sport pilot regulations, but it
is not a Light Sport airplane. This concept is important
to understand. The details are in FAR 43.3 and 43.7.
Sport pilots do have the privilege of performing preventive maintenance on Light Sport aircraft they own or
operate. Private pilots have the privilege of performing
preventive maintenance on aircraft they own or operate,
including Light Sport aircraft. However, sport pilots
have no preventive maintenance privileges for aircraft
other than Light Sport aircraft. This means that an
owner of a certificated Normal category airplane, holding a sport pilot certificate, has no authority to perform
any preventive maintenance on his or her aircraft.
The regulations do, however, permit owners to perform any type of maintenance under the supervision
of an A&P mechanic. In this case, that would include
preventive maintenance. You can do that oil change,
but your work must be supervised and endorsed by an
A&P mechanic.
Contact AOPA's Pilot Information Center for more
information at 800-872-2672 or pilotassist@aopa.org.
CRAIG BROWN is a senior aviation technical specialist in the

AOPA Pilot Information Center.
18 FLIGHT TRAINING DECEMBER 2019

THE DRONE REVOLUTION
GREAT IDEAS FROM UNIVERSITY DORM ROOMS

This is an open question to the next generation: What are you doing
in your dorm rooms? We all know Facebook mogul Mark Zuckerberg
started his little enterprise in his college dorm room and, guess what?
The largest drone manufacturer in the world started his business in
his dorm room, too. Frank Wang, founder of DJI-which as of summer
2018 controlled 70 percent of the world drone market-was granted
$2,300 from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to
develop an unmanned aerial vehicle.
He created his first drone in his dorm room in 2006. DJI-Da Jiang
Innovations-is currently the market leader in commercial drone production. Its Phantom line, now on its fourth generation, is the leader
in easy-to-fly, camera-mounted commercial and recreational drones.
The quadcopter style is also the most popular. DJI is in Shenzhen,
China's "Silicon Valley." At 37, Wang became Asia's youngest tech billionaire in 2017. The FAA has said that it estimates there are 110,000
commercial drones in use as of summer 2018 and projects there will
be 450,000 by 2022. The agency also believes there will be 300,000
registered unmanned aircraft system operators (holding Part 107
certificates) by 2022.
Stories such as these can be found in Freedom to Fly: AOPA and
the History of General Aviation in America, published by AOPA on the
occasion of its eightieth anniversary. On sale for 50 percent off-just
$19.95-now through the end of the year.
aopa.org/freedomtoflybook

PILOT SPEAK
Deadstick

Not to be confused with a
certain band of the 1960s, a
deadstick is an approach and
landing accomplished without
power. This emergency landing
is hopefully not a long strange
trip, but one you're grateful for.

http://www.aopa.org/freedomtoflybook

Flight Training - December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - December 2019