* SPECIAL EDITION *
 

FAA Praises EAA For Prominent Role in Effecting New Sport Pilot Regulations 
Administrator Says EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is
the Definitive Forum on New Rules

During a press conference today announcing a set of aviation regulations that will significantly reduce barriers to participation in recreational aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commended the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) for its work spanning more than a decade to promote, develop, and usher in a new era in sport aviation.

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey named EAA first among industry groups who partnered with FAA to create the new sport-pilot and light-sport-aircraft regulations, which will make basic sport and recreational aviation a viable pastime for more individuals by lowering the overall investment in training and equipment. She also designated next week’s EAA AirVenture event, the association’s annual showcase fly-in and convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as the next major venue for disclosure and discussion of this new category of recreational flying.

“If you’d like to get the full depth and breadth of today’s announcement, what it means to America, visit EAA’s AirVenture next week at Oshkosh,” she told reporters. “If you’re looking for grassroots aviation, the grass is not going to be any greener anywhere than at Oshkosh this year.”
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Poberezny Congratulates FAA, Sport Pilot Team
Following FAA Administrator Marion Blakey’s announcement that the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft regulations are now a reality, EAA President Tom Poberezny met with FAA’s sport pilot rulemaking and administrative teams to express heartfelt thanks on behalf of EAA and aviation enthusiasts throughout the country. In a private conference room at FAA headquarters Poberezny presented FAA staff including Marion Blakey, Ron Wojner, Jim Ballough and Peggy Gilligan, with a signed, framed issue of the first EAA Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft magazine, published earlier this year.

In addressing the group, Poberezny said, “This is a great day for aviation and for sport aviation. I wouldn’t be anywhere else but here when this happened. When you’ve been working on something such as this you often wonder how you’re going to feel when it really happens. I can safely say there is nowhere else in the United States or on the planet that I would want to be than here.”
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Quick Answers to Sport Pilot Questions
Here is a collection of answers to some of the more common Sport Pilot questions received this week at EAA headquarters.

Gross weight = 1,320 pounds (600 kilograms)
Floatplanes = 1,430 (650 kilograms)
Maximum Full Power Speed = 120 knots (138 mph)
Stall Speed = 45 knots (52 mph) · no more dual stall speeds
Fixed Prop - may be ground adjustable
Fixed Gear - amphibians allowed "repositionable" gear
Two-Place - pilot and one passenger
Day VFR
Driver's License Medical Approved - however, if you have received a letter with the word "denied" from FAA, not from your doctor, you must get a one-time special issuance or FAA authorization · even if you have been denied in the past, you can try again for special issuance (medicines have changed, for example) · more on this as EAA continues to analyze the new rule.
Owner Maintenance Approved on ELSAs - no changes - if you are operating an Amateur-Built or Standard category as an LSA, maintenance remains as it was without change.
No Recertification of aircraft required or permitted (this means ultralights are converted to ELSAs; all other aircraft certification and maintenance remain the same).
Rule Effective Date = 9/1/04. 

Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft: A Synopsis
Sport pilot/light-sport aircraft's major elements, and some brief explanations about them, can be found on the EAA sport pilot website.

Much More to Come...
Now that the final rule has been published in the Federal Register, EAA's expert sport pilot team is poring through the details. 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 at AirVenture Oshkosh.