Sport Pilots: Fly to the Bahamas in Your LSA!

A Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey makes a good LSA candidate to fly to the Islands of the Bahamas.

Bahamas and EAA officials (L-R): Greg Rolle, Dave Oord, Charles Albury, Kendric Sands, Randy Hansen, Lenord Stuart, Tony Anthony. Photo courtesy EAA

It’s a first… the acceptance of Sport Pilots into another country. I don’t refer to acceptance of Light-Sport Aircraft in other nations; that’s already happening in a dozen countries with 30 more studying the method of certification. When the Islands of the Bahamas said it would accept Sport Pilot certificate holders to pilot their LSA to the Bahamas, that was a first in another country recognizing the pilot side of FAA’s 2004 regulatory innovation. *** Thanks go to EAA for stimulating discussion and for staffers Randy Hansen and David Oord, both of whom work in EAA’s government relations office. *** At the 2010 Oshkosh event Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, Charles Albury, told EAA AirVenture Today writer Jeb Burnside, “We felt this was another area to expand because of the growth of sport pilots in the United States.” Government and Advocacy Specialist Oord said, “We look forward to similar recognition of the sport pilot certificate by our international neighbors.” In celebration of the latest changes to Bahamian rules, EAA, the Ministry and Florida-based EAA chapters are organizing a sport-pilot fly-out to the Bahamas, planned for the near future. *** To qualify for the new privilege Sport Pilot certificate holders must meet similar rules as in the USA. A Sport Pilot operating in the Bahamas must hold a current and valid U.S. driver’s license or better and have logbook endorsements certifying proficiency in Class B, C and D airspace. The pilot must have all required aircraft documents on board and must meet all FAA regulations. Sport Pilots in the Bahamas follow the same privileges and limitations as in the USA.