A 2-Place Ultralight May Look Good But, In Fact, There Is No Such Thing

Flying a lightweight aircraft that lets you ‘hang-out’ in the breeze looks like a lot of fun…and it is. We generally think of these types of airplanes as ultralights, but if it’s a 2 place airplane, that term doesn’t apply.

There are 2-place airplanes that have the appearance of an ultralight. However, an ultralight can only be a single place aircraft that qualifies under FAR 103. For a number of years the FAA allowed certain 2-place ultralight trainers to be operated under an FAA exemption from certification, but they were never classified as ultralights, and that exemption no longer exist.

Any airplane that can carry a pilot and a passenger must hold some sort of FAA certification, and there are airplanes that appear to be 2-place ultralights, but if you look closely, they actually do have an FAA airworthiness certificate. A few of these are certificated as special light sport aircraft (S-LSA), while others may carry FAA certification as an experimental amateur built aircraft (E-AB) or an experimental light sport aircraft (E-LSA). Although a lot of the exempted ultralight trainers may still be around, if they do not hold an FAA airworthiness certificate they are not legal to fly.

An example of an airplane that has the appearance of being an ultralight but actually holds FAA certification is being built by Quicksilver Aeronautics. This airplane is known as the “Sport S2SE” and may be certified as an E-AB, E-LSA, or an S-LSA. The rules for actually operating this example of aircraft vary depending on its certification, but any of the certifications allow at least a student pilot or sport pilot to fly the aircraft.

Here is a buyer beware warning: it is possible to see 2-place aircraft advertised for sale in various media sources that look similar to the Quicksilver line of aircraft, but if they do not hold an FAA airworthiness certificate, they are not legal to fly.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.faa.gov