Private Pilot
You are a Sport Pilot applicant (or a Sport Pilot student in training) who wants to transitioning from a Sport Pilot certificate to a Private Pilot license. Or, you are a Private Pilot student and want to utilize your Private Pilot training to obtain a Sport Pilot certificate.
Differences Between Sport Pilot and Private Pilot
Sport pilots are limited to flying light sport aircraft, no night flying, and no flying above 10,000 feet MSL. Training and requirements for the sport pilot certificate do not include flight at towered airports, but sport pilots can fly into towered controlled airports with the additional training and endorsements.
There is no difference in the piloting ability (stick and rudder skills) between a sport pilot and private pilot. The standards are the same.
However, sport pilots are not required to have training in a number of areas which reduces the minimum required training time by half. This is an overview from the knowledge test questions and the practical test standards(Checkride) of the additional subjects the private pilot must be trained and tested:
- Night flight with night cross country training
- Instrument flight training (Airplane only)
- Radio navigation (VOR, DME, etc) (Airplane only)
- Communications and operations at tower controlled airports (however, sport pilots can obtain this training and privileges, but this is in addition to the minimum sport pilot requirements)
Sport Pilot To Private Pilot Transition Overview
Many pilots want to obtain their sport pilot certificate first and may or may not want to go on to private pilot because one or more of these typical/common reasons:
- They do not want to hassle with the FAA medical examination or risk not passing it, essentially ending their flying dream.
- They want to get their FAA pilot certificate in half the time and half the cost.
- They have no need nor desire for flying at night or above 10,000 feet.
- Their aircraft is not equipped with IFR instruments or they do not intend on flying by instruments.
- They plan on using a GPS rather than old and more difficult VOR/DME radio navigation systems
- They do not want to fly into busy airports and/or want the stress/learning required to talk with a control tower.
However, for those pilots who obtained their sport pilot certificate first and want to continue on to private pilot, all the dual training and solo hours count towards the private pilot certificate. The experience of taking the knowledge test, flying as pilot in command (PIC), and taking a sport pilot checkride make the private pilot step much easier. Typically, less additional dual training hours are needed, above the minimum requirements, for the private pilot since the sport pilot has been operating as a certificated sport pilot.
To upgrade from a sport to a private pilot, the sport pilot (Airplane) is trained by a qualified private pilot CFI following the lesson plans provided in this guide, study and take the private pilot knowledge test, and take a checkride with an FAA Private pilot examiner. (For Weight-shift Control or Powered Parachute, a Sport Pilot CFI with Private Pilot rating is acceptable.) There is no additional cost to becoming a sport pilot first except the sport pilot knowledge test and the sport pilot checkride, both which are stepping stones to building knowledge and experience to private pilot knowledge, skill and requirements.
Sport Pilot Student To Private Pilot License
Using the Hamilton Pilot Training System To Become a Private Pilot
The Hamilton Pilot Training System includes a Sport Pilot | Private Pilot Guide in the Sport Pilot Training Syllabus for Fixed Wing Aircraft, to train from the ground up from Sport Pilot to Private Pilot. The airspace endorsement (HPTS Sport Pilot Training Syllabus - module 20) lesson and additional private pilot lesson plans listed in this guide are the additional training required:
- Private pilot “Instrument training lesson plan module PP1” is integrated into “Stage 2 Flight Maneuvers and Aeronautical Knowledge to Solo”.
- Private Pilot “Radio navigation lesson plan module PP2” is integrated into “Stage 3 Student pilot – Regulations – Cross Country”.
- Private Pilot “Night Flight lesson plan module PP3 also added to “Stage 3 Student pilot – Regulations – Cross Country”.'
- Airspace endorsement is also integrated into the “Stage 3 Student pilot – Regulations – Cross Country”.
- Private pilot knowledge Module PP4 and practical tests private module PP5 simply replace the sport pilot “Stage 4 Test Preparation”.
It must be understood that the order of the syllabus lesson plans may be rearranged by the instructor depending on the airspace the training takes place, the weather conditions, the instructor/student schedule, or any other reason the instructor feels better for the student.
Private Pilot Airplane Student Transitioning to Sport Pilot License
Many students who have been training for private pilot can easily use their hours and obtain a sport pilot certificate. All hours in any aircraft count towards a sport pilot certificate but the checkride must be taken in a Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA). It must be understood that any sport pilot applicant should fly a LSA before taking a checkride in it because they have unique flying characteristics and the applicant must be familiar before taking a checkride in any unfamiliar aircraft.
If the student (Airplane) wants to solo an aircraft that is not a LSA, an FAA third class medical/student certificate must be obtained to fly the standard category/non LSA aircraft.
Typically, the first phases of training for private is the same as the first training for sport because the more difficult night cross country training, instrument training, radio navigation, high altitude use of oxygen, and communications/operations at tower controlled airports is generally not accomplished at the beginning of the private pilot training (note: If training is conducted at a towered airport, towered communications is normally started early in the training process).
For a private pilot student to obtain a sport pilot certificate the student must take the sport pilot knowledge test which is much simpler than the private pilot knowledge test, meet the minimum hour requirements in 14 CFR 61.313, but take a checkride in a light-sport aircraft.
Additional Private Pilot Lesson Plans
- Tower Controlled Airspace - Sport Pilot Training Syllabus, module 20 (page 56).
(this is not required if student or sport pilot has the airspace endorsement) - Instrument Training – Private Pilot module 1
- Radio Navigation – Private Pilot module 2
- Night Flight with Night Cross Country Training – Private Pilot module 3
- Private Pilot Knowledge Test Preparation – Private Pilot module 4
- Private Pilot Checkride Preparation - Private Pilot module 5
It must be understood that if any pilot is transitioning from a sport pilot certificate to a private pilot certificate that all homework, ground school and flight proficiency from the Sport Pilot Training Syllabus must be accomplished prior to these lesson plans because it is a prerequisite to the private pilot additional materials presented here.
Training Materials
Many of the training materials are interchangeable between the sport pilot and the private pilot accept the knowledge and practical test materials.
Sport Pilot Lcense to Private Pilot License
- The HPTS SportPilot|Private Pilot Guide (Included in HPTS Sport Pilot Training Fixed Wing Aircraft Syllabus)
- Knowledge test preparation can be any one or combination of the following:
- Private Pilot Test Prep book
- Private Pilot Prepware software (CD)
- Private Pilot Virtual Test Prep (Includes the test prep book)
- Checkride preparation:
Sport Pilot Student Directly to Private Pilot License
- The HPTS SportPilot | Private Pilot Guide (Included in HPTS Sport Pilot Training Fixed Wing Aircraft Syllabus)
- Knowledge test preparation can be any one or combination of the following:
- Private Pilot Test Prep book
- Private Pilot Prepware software (CD)
- Private Pilot Virtual Test Prep (Includes the test prep book)
- Checkride preparation:
- Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide
- Practical Test Standards: Private Pilot Airplane (Single-Engine Land)
- Sport Pilot Book & DVD Combo (Optional) (The Sport Pilot Checkride book is helpful because it covers the LSA requirements, as well as, the flight portion of the checkride. The Checkride DVD covers what it is like to go through a checkride which is similar to the Private pilot checkride.)
Private Pilot Students Transitioning To Sport Pilot
Most of the Private Pilot training materials are applicable to the Sport Pilot except the training syllabus, and the knowledge and checkride test preparation materials. The instructor can assign chapters that correlate with the sport pilot training syllabus with the existing materials and eliminate:
- Night flight with night cross country training
- Instrument flight training (Airplane only)
- Radio navigation (VOR, DME, etc) (Airplane only)
- Communications and operations at tower controlled airports (however, sport pilots can obtain this training and privileges but this is in addition to the minimum sport pilot requirements)
- Checkride preparation:
- Sport Pilot Test Prep book
- Sport Pilot Prepware software (CD)
- Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards:
Airplane, Gyroplane, Glider or Weight-Shift Control and Powered Parachute - Sport Pilot Book & DVD Combo
Contact Paul with any further questions.
