* SPECIAL EDITION *
 

Sport Pilot Rule Clears
Final Hurdle! 
Publication Expected Within Days

A bright new age of aviation participation is ready to unfold, capping a decade of effort by the Experimental Aircraft Association and the aviation community, as the highly anticipated sport pilot/light-sport aircraft rule has cleared its last governmental hurdle. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the rule to the Federal Aviation Administration, the last of many federal approvals that were necessary before this major rule could be published.

“We are extremely pleased that this rule is finally becoming reality,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA President. “It has long been a goal of the aviation community and provides the first rulemaking package specifically written for recreational flying. EAA is proud of its role to make personal flight more accessible and build aviation’s infrastructure through this new entry-level base for pilots.”

The regulation, commonly known as the “sport pilot rule,” is now ready for publication in the Federal Register within several days. It gives aviation enthusiasts a way to focus on the basics of flying by lowering costs while enhancing safety and security considerations. The light-sport aircraft portion of the regulation, meanwhile, opens the door to more affordable aircraft.
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Experts/Enthusiasts Prepare to Converge on Oshkosh
Before OMB's return of the long-awaited sport pilot/light-sport aircraft (SP/LSA) rule to FAA, EAA had arranged a wide variety of sport pilot activities for the fast-approaching EAA AirVenture Oshkosh convention and fly-in. With today's big news, AirVenture's theme, “Launching the Next Century of Flight,” takes on even more meaning, as the convention becomes Sport Pilot Central July 27-August 2. For those who want to learn more about SP/LSA, there's really only one place to be: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
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Much More to Come...
Now that the rule has been approved and delivered back to the FAA, it will take several days before being published in the Federal Register. Once that happens, EAA's expert sport pilot team will immediately begin analysis of the final rule. Those results will be published as soon as they're available in EAA e-HOT LINE, the EAA, NAFI, and Sport Pilot websites. In addition, EAA's experts will create a list of FAQs and topics for EAA members and AirVenture attendees, as well as SP/LSA briefing sessions in Oshkosh. Stay tuned to these websites for the very latest information!