I agree with Matt, "[E-LSA] is all very disappointing." I would like

to

suggest everyone bug there EAA chapters and anyone they know at

national

about this. The whole LSA movement does little for those of us
interested in experimentation, and it certainly hasn't reduced the

cost

of flying. I would like to be able to license any 2 seat homebuilt

that

meets LSA stall and top speed as an E-LSA; alternately I would prefer
the FAA do away with Medicals for day-VFR flight.

I'm not sure I understand your complaint.

Are you saying that gross weight is the hindrance?

Since a private pilot with an expired medical (but not failed or
otherwise revoked or surrendered) or a Sport pilot can fly ANY airplane,
experimental or not, that meets the minimum requirements of LSA, there
is NO REASON to license any experimental as E-LSA, which can't be done
anyhow as there is absolutely NO need to do so.

Here's a short list of may of the experimental aircraft available today
that one can build and register as experimental, amateur-built and fly
as a Sport Pilot. http://www.sportpilot.org/learn/lsa/likely_lsa.html
The last three issues of KITPLANES has a more comprehensive list.

LSA is a great rule. It's not perfect by any stretch but it has either
put or kept hundreds, maybe thousands of people in the air who would
never otherwise be allowed. Odds are real good that you already know
more than one person who is actively flying as a sport pilot or is
planning to skip their next medical and switch to sport pilot.

Affordable? The local flight center recently put a spanking new LSA on
the flight line, and has it priced about $10 per hour more than the
literally trashed Tomahawk parked next to it. It has a full glass panel,
including GPS, burns half the fuel per hour, and goes the same speed
except it will out-climb the Tomahawk by about 3x and has a better
useful load.

It's clean, pretty, and my passengers are not afraid to climb in it.
It's booked solid, where as the Tomahawk collects dust and cobwebs.

To put anything but an LSA on the flight line that was spanking new
would have cost the flight center 2-3 times the purchase cost and they
could have to charge 2-3 times the rental fee, it would burn 2-3 times
the fuel, and since it doesn't go 2-3 times faster, it just wouldn't
pencil as a trainer.

Since I'm an instrument rated pilot with a current medical certificate,
I can fly the LSA at night and if it were equipped and properly papered
for IFR flight (which many are), I could fly it in IMC... which I would
consider for the type of IMC we get around here (low visibility from fog
or smog).

A new student can chose to become a private pilot in 40 hours, using the
crusty old tomahawk, spending $80 per hour for the plane and $30 for the
instructor. He needs 20 hours of dual @ $120 per hour and 20 hours of
solo @ $80-- total expenditure on just these items, $4000.

Said same student can opt for Sport pilot in 20 hours, spend $90 on the
plane and $30 on the instructor. He needs 10 hours of dual @ $130 per
hour and 10 hours of solo @ $90-- total expenditure on just these items,
$2600.

Affordable? Maybe. Cheaper? Substantially.

So again, I don't understand the disappointment.

Pat