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Have an idea for a new “Question of the Week”? Send your suggestions to AvWeb’s special email.
Over the years, I’ve increasingly seen AvWeb as one of the leading websites for aviation. I have often expressed appreciation to their staff for their frequent, balanced coverage of Light-Sport aviation. Certainly if you look beyond the big member websites of EAA and AOPA, AvWeb has the biggest influence I can perceive. Recently I made some agreement to present AvWeb items of interest to Light-Sport enthusiasts and here’s one of them. *** Each week, AvWeb runs a survey and asks their 255,000 readers to weigh in on the question. Within days, 428 people had spoken their mind, and I found the results intriguing (chart). You can make up your own mind as to their meaning. *** In case the graphic doesn’t read well on your screen, here are the response choices AvWeb editors offered: (1) The FAA should butt out and honor the original rulemaking that created Light Sport/Sport Pilot; (2) There are no major safety issues, but the FAA is sending a signal; (3) Increased FAA involvement was inevitable, and we might as well welcome their input and get it over with; (4) Manufacturers have to pull up their socks and ensure all standards are met; (5) LSA standards shouldn’t be any less than full certification; and, (6) Other (My opinion doesn’t appear as a choice.) *** Those who feel Light-Sport is functioning well using industry consensus standards for certification — summing answers to points 1 & 2 — represent 56% of those responding, however, even points 3 & 4 show support for LSA producers. Only 10% thought LSA should meet Part 23 Type Certificate compliance. Apparently the latter group doesn’t worry about paying significantly more for an LSA if it means the FAA has given an aircraft the agency’s blessing. In common pilot fashion, politically-speaking, a plurality felt the Fed’ should simply “butt out” and let things proceed according to the original plan.
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