Transition Training For An Ultralight Is A Good Idea, But You May Have To Search It Out

On a recent EAA forum we saw a question about receiving transition training before flying an ultralight. The forum participant said he had experience in a CTLS, RV-12, and Cessna 172. He asked about the need for transition training into an Aerolite103 ultralight. His question was; "Does having flight time in an LSA provide adequate transition experience to operate the ultralight?"

We passed this question along to our resident flight instructor, Earl Downs, to get his opinion. Earl’s an old guy that has thousands of hours of flight instructing experience in everything from high-performance aircraft to ultralights. He’s flown several types of ultralights and at one time, built and owned a Kitfox Lite. Here’s what Earl has to say:

“I have never flown the Aerolite 103, but have had the chance several times to carefully check it out while at AirVenture, and I wouldn’t hesitate for a heartbeat if I had the opportunity to fly one. However, in regards to the question about transition training, my advice is that transition training would be a very good idea. Some LSA’s are similar enough to ultralight operation that they could actually be appropriate trainer planes, but the ones mentioned by the forum participant don’t, in my opinion, suit ultralight transition training needs.

“The problem is, you may have to be creative to find some way to get training. Two-lace ultralight exempted trainers used to exist but they have disappeared because of the way the sport pilot regulations were brought into being. This means that anyone seeking transition training for an ultralight may be have to do some searching.

“Remember, under FAR 103, ultralights are vehicles, not airplanes, and they are flown by operators, not pilots. What all this legalese means is that certified flight instructors do not have to be in the picture for transition training or familiarization flying. Any two-place aircraft that has similar characteristics to the Aerolite 103 could be used for training or familiarization, and the training or familiarization flying could be performed by any pilot with the appropriate category and class rating. The only catch is that if the aircraft is not type certificated, no charge can be made for the operation of the trainer plane unless it is specifically wavered for such use by the FAA.

“The aerolite 103 is a typical of example of an ultralight that has relatively low power, a low wing loading, and very low inertia. It also has limited structure in front of the pilot for the purpose of judging nose pitch attitude. None of these things are bad; they’re just different.

“Here’s my advice. Look for an ultralight club or EAA chapter that is known for ultralight operation. Many of the previously exempted two-place ultralight trainers were converted to E-LSA’s and it’s likely these could be found in such a club. The guys and gals in these clubs love to promote their ultralight-like aircraft. You would be surprised what kind of cooperation you can get in the way of familiarization rides just by asking, and offering to provide pizzas for the next club meeting doesn’t hurt either. I would also not be surprised if the folks at Aerolite could give you some good advice about finding a place where familiarization flights could be provided.

“The bottom line is, some sort of transition training or familiarization flights will greatly add to the safety and enjoyment of ultralight flying.”

(Image from Aerolite website)

FMI: www.eaa.org  www.aerolite103ultralightaircraft.com/