The long answer

A: The short answer is an owner has no such authority; the airframe and powerplant mechanic with inspection authorization (IA) who did the work must endorse the logbooks.

The long answer: In 2004, the sport pilot regulation first came into being. The regulation detailed what parameters an airplane had to meet to have a light sport airworthiness certificate or to be operated as a light sport airplane by a pilot exercising sport pilot privileges.

At the time all we had was a regulation; no airplanes had yet earned airworthiness certificates in the light sport category. AOPA dug deep into dozens of flight manuals and pilot’s operating handbooks to find which normal category, standard airworthiness certificate aircraft met the requirements to be flown under the rule. The Aeronca 7AC, Piper J–3, and the Luscombe 8A were but a few.

Normal category airplanes that are under 1,320-pound gross weight, one or two seats, unpressurized, 45 knot stall, 120 knot maximum speed, one engine, fixed-pitch propeller, and fixed landing gear meet all the parameters required of a light sport airplane; therefore, they may be flown by sport pilots or other pilots exercising sport privileges. However, they retain the normal category, standard airworthiness certificates.

Light sport repairmen may perform maintenance on aircraft with light sport airworthiness certificates, but an IA is required for major alterations to a normal category airplane. Unless they hold a mechanic certificate, owners are limited to specific preventive maintenance tasks outlined in Part 43.

With the implementation of MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates) expected sometime in early to mid-2025, more airplanes could be added to the list of light sport qualified. But that does not make them special light sport airplanes!

Craig Brown is a senior aviation technical specialist in the AOPA Pilot Information Center. [email protected]