The oft-delayed announcement of a final rule for the much-ballyhooed Sport Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft programs appears to be heading for even more delay. A number of sources are reporting that hopes for an announcement at Oshkosh are probably in vain.

The FAA is apparently falling back to a position where they hope to publish the final rule in September of 2003... but even that may be problematic. Numerous sources (including those in the FAA) do expect that their part in the rule will be done by the advent of Oshkosh but that mandatory review by other aspects of our government may delay it well past the end of summer... and possibly further. The FAA is reportedly trying to head off some of the delays by advance briefings with relevant parties in the DOT and OMB.

Once finalized, some effects are expected fairly quickly (especially in terms of pilot regulation), but other aspects may take the better part of a year to see serious implementation. Few changes are expected from the draft that has thus far been published, but we do hear rumors of some latitude that might allow higher aircraft gross weights (to as much as 1300 pounds) and the chance that some rotorcraft, specifically gyroplanes, may see some inclusion in the rule, after all.

It's Not ALL Bad News...

The tireless work of the ASTM committees, that we have been reporting on for over a year, is showing serious progress. An ASTM memorandum recently reported the following progress: 

• Fixed Wing Aircraft: The FW committees have made immense progress. They have completed their Quality Assurance Standard and released it to ASTM, and are in the final stages of release for the remainder of their Standards. Several manufacturers report that they have aircraft ready for release upon approval of the Rule.
• Powered Parachutes: The PPC/PPG group has completed all their Standards required by the Light Sport Rule, and have released them to ASTM for publishing (despite ignoring some changes that they had previously promised to incorporate... a foolish move, we think). Representatives of this category of light sport aircraft claim to be ready for prototype approvals when the rule is published.
• Weight-Shift Aircraft: In the final stages of completing their Design/Performance/Airworthiness Standard. Representatives for this category of light sport aircraft claim that they have aircraft available for approval and release upon rule completion.
• Gyroplanes: The Rotorcraft/Gyroplane working group has completed their first draft of their Design and Performance Standard. Some stability testing standards remain to be completed.
• Lighter-Than-Air: This working group has drafted their Standards.
• Gliders/Sailplanes: This group has yet to draft their standards.

FMI: www.faa.gov