A more real concern about the
future of ultralights revolves around
the availability of ultralight trainers
to prepare new pilots for flight in
Part 103 ultralights like the Ultra.
Wonderful as many of the new LSA
may be, most are inappropriate aircraft
to train you for flight in a Hawk
Ultra|or almost any other genuine
103 machine. The question ponders
the likelihood of companies building
ultralight trainer-type aircraft as
fully built, fully certificated special
light-sport aircraft (S-LSA), the minimum
standard to which all trainers
must be built once the two-place
exemptions expire on January 31,
2008. (Note: Two-place trainers that
have transitioned to experimental
light-sport aircraft status, E-LSA, can
still be used for training purposes by
the original owner/instructor until
January 31, 2010.)
Even if ultralight manufacturers
do choose to build an S-LSA trainer,
will it be affordable? Again, consumer
demand will play a role in
this decision; CGS is evaluating the
market and may create an S-LSA
ultralight trainer.
This trainer issue will unfold in
the months and years ahead before
FAA phases them out of the picture.
I hope this industry will rise to the
need because I’m absolutely certain
we will have new or redesigned Part
103 ultralights joining the ranks of
currently legal machines in the fixedwing,
weight-shift trike, and powered
parachute categories.
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