Lsa or s-lsa

[TJay]

Hey guys I am getting really close to buying this bird. And was trying to find out if I am able to do all the repairs on this plane. I am not an A&P, and not looking to do my own annuals, I just enjoy rebuilding airplanes. The last one I did was E-LSA, and I could do everything on that. I am guessing these are S-LSA, Not sure if all the rules are the same, what do you guys know thanks.
TJay Larsen

[M Towsley]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

TJay,

No you cannot do your own work nor even regular maintenance if you are a light sport pilot. Not even oil changes. This is part of Light Sport I do not agree with. There are more people here more qualified to answer the other question about rebuilding, but you will need an A&P to monitor your work. A stock BC-12 Taylorcraft, unless it is experimental, is a certified aircraft, classified as light sport, and maintenance will have to be done accordingly. Make sure there have been no modifications that takes it out of light sport parameters.

S-LSA are the new-build light sport aircraft that are currently being produced.

[3Dreaming]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

TJay, the Taylorcraft has a standard category airwortiness certificate. So the CFR part 43 rules of maintenance apply. If you have a Private pilot certificate you may do the preventative maintenance listed in 43, but any work beyond that would have to be done under the supervision of an A&P. If you hold a Sport Pilot certificate the the regs say you can not do the preventative maitenance listed in CFR 43. You have to remember these are airplanes that meet the requirements of a Light Sport Aircraft under CFR 1.1, but the original certification did not change in 2004 when LSA was created. Tom

[3Dreaming]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

Marty, you beat me to it.

[M Towsley]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

Yours sounds a heck of a lot more official than mine.

[magman]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

If you are rebuilding aircraft you should be logging the time toward obtaining your A & P.

If you continue with this your frustration will grow as you may become more knowledgeable on particular aircraft

than the A & P (IA) that is authorized.

Check out CFR FAR 65.77 for details.

Yes; you WILL have to know pressurization,turbines & helicopters to get your credentials.

It is a committment that requires a LOT more than 1 or 2 nights of study.

But it is definitely doable!

You can rebuild your aircraft while building your future.

[TJay]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

Thats what I thought, Ah crap, Well thanks alot for all the info guys

[avenger1949]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

Ok I will admit that all the parts this and refernences to that as pertains to almost everything in the FAR's confuse me so I will ask here. I have a light sport pilots license but I have attended the repairman cert classes and have completed them and have my repairmans Cert. As I read the rules on who can and can't do maintanance repairs I understood I could do minor work like change the oil am I still right on this as I didn't understand the the pilots license made a difference although from reading the above posts I understand now it might. Seems it is easier to learn to fly then to keep all the rules straight.

[N96290]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

If any pilot thinks he or she fully understands the FAR'S they must at once surrender their pilots license as that type of insanity can not be tolerated and would render them a danger to themselves and anyone they may come in contact with.

[avenger1949]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

Thanks... I really needed that I was thinking someone might have made sense of these writing and knew what they meant. Now I learn it is more like a doctor or lawyer and is a practice rather then a job. When I was flying a 1/2 vw minimax pretty much totally illegal all I wanted to do was get legal let me tell you it can be done... but is way hard to do. I took my flying lessons in a c-150 but flew my minimax for almost everything else. Got my taildragger endorsement and light sport license. Since then I have learned how hard it is to play by the rules and reading this forum hasn't really helped that much in that area due to idea's about what the rules mean seem more open to interpretation then hard set in stone rules. I can't figure them out because one always seems to counter the other when you read them... E-lsa, lsa, S-lsa Private pilots license. Got my taildragger endorsement from a LS instructor and found I had to get a second because he was a Light sport instructor. Now I find out that rule wasn't really right either. I know a guy that has 3 planes and has been flying for over 35 years and never had a license. Starting to think he may have been smarter then I thought. He has them annualled they are in great shape he just saw no need to try to figure out the gov. So if someone knows for sure I can or can't change my oil let me know. I do love this forum

[M Towsley]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

Avenger,

Though I know only what pertains to me, a light sport licensed pilot, there is no class I can take, (repairmans cert.), that would allow me to work on my Taylorcraft. I had an E-LSA, (TEAM Airbike), and a repairmans cert. for that aircraft, no problem. I could do my own annual inspections. I see you are light sport with a Mini Max. Your repairmans cert. is only good for the aircraft, (E-LSA), that you own. Nothing else. Your 'N'-number will be on that certificate. I hope I am understanding your question and statements correctly.

If you are a private pilot, or above, I believe you can still do your preventative maintenance, etc., on a light sport aircraft. I know that I, as a light sport pilot, (who also originally started flying in the late 70's for my private but never finished), cannot.

Oh, and one more thing. I bought my first Taylorcraft to get my Light Sport license back in 2004 and was licensed in early 2005 - the first light sport licensed pilot in Illinois. None of the local FAA had a clue about light sport. I was advising them of the rules, not the other way around. Most of the FAA at that time really didn't care to learn about the rule. I hope it has changed since then. Your confusion and those who told you what needed to be done does not surprise me.

[3Dreaming]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

This is fro CFR43.3
(g) Except for holders of a sport pilot certificate, the holder of a pilot certificate issued under part 61 may perform preventive maintenance on any aircraft owned or operated by that pilot which is not used under part 121, 129, or 135 of this chapter. The holder of a sport pilot certificate may perform preventive maintenance on an aircraft owned or operated by that pilot and issued a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category.

If you have a Sport Pilot certificate you may work on an experimental AB aircraft, but may not do the condition inspection unless you were the builder with a repairman certificate for that airplane or an A&P. You may work on a E-LSA and do the condition inspection if you have completed a 16 hour class and received a LSRM with inspection privileges as long as you own the aircraft. You may work on a S-LSA that you own if the items are listed in the maintenance manual. For all of these you may do the work and sign it off in the aircraft records.
To do preventative maintenance on the Taylorcraft and sign it off in the records you must hold a pilot certificate other than a Sport Pilot certificate like Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, ect..
I really don't think it is fair,but I don't write the rules.

[M Towsley]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

Yup, exactly what Tom wrote.

[avenger1949]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

Well then I guess the taylorcraft fairies that take care of all of us when we fly must have changed the oil in my plane last time.

[M Towsley]

Re: Lsa or s-lsa

I feel the same way as you do. My thought is, and I know I worry about this more than some folks, what happens when the engine quits and I have to put it down? The plane is damaged or destroyed and I file an insurance claim. Someone investigating the accident is smart enough to check the logbooks to see if engine maintenance has been done correctly. They see my name and certificate number next to the logbook entry. Said investigator realizes that I cannot do preventative maintenance. Whether it was done right, or not, it is now an issue. My insurance company, which specifically states the aircraft has to be maintained per all the good rules of the FAA, now does not want to pay my claim. Think it doesn't happen??? Want to take that chance??? Just my .02 cents worth.

Maybe you can throw away thousands of dollars, but I have no intention of doing so. That's the price we pay to fly, like it or not.