Section— IA

Pilot‘s Licence (Light Sport Aircraft)

1. Requirements for the Issue of Licence— An applicant for a Pilot‘s Licence (Light Sport aircraft) shall satisfy the following requirements:—

(a) Age— He shall not be less than seventeen years of age on the date of application;

(b) Educational Qualification— He shall have passed Class Ten or equivalent Examination from a Recognised Board;

(c) Medical Fitness— He shall produce on a prescribed proforma a certificate of physical fitness from an approved medical practitioner after undergoing a medical examination, during which he shall have established his medical fitness on the basis of compliance with the requirements as notified by the Director-General under rule 39B;

(d) Knowledge— He shall pass a written examination in Air Regulations, Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology and Aircraft and Engines as per the syllabus prescribed by the Director-General:

Provided that an applicant in possession of a valid Private Pilot‘s Licence (Aeroplanes/helicopters) or a higher category of Pilot‘s Licence shall be exempted from passing all the aforesaid examinations under clause (d) after furnishing a Certificate by the Flight Instructor or Examiner in the pilot‘s Log Book to the effect that the pilot has been thoroughly familiarised with the flight controls, speed profiles, systems, engines and limitations of the light sport aircraft.

Provided further that an applicant in possession of a valid Pilot‘s Licence (Gliders) shall be exempted from examination in Air Regulations and Aviation Meteorology specified in clause (d).

(e) Experience— He shall produce evidence of having satisfactorily completed not less than forty hours of flight time on light sport aircraft, which shall include —

(i) not less than twenty hours of flight training with, —

(a) two hours of dual cross country flight training;

(b) one solo cross-country flight of total distance of not less than fifty nautical miles with a full stop landing at a minimum of two different aerodromes and with one segment of the flight consisting of straight line distance of at least twenty five nautical miles;

(ii) not less than ten hours of solo flight time with ten take-offs and landings completed within six months preceding the date of submission of application for issue of licence.

Provided that the holder of a current Private Pilot‘s Licence (Aeroplanes) or a higher category of Licence (Aeroplanes) shall be exempted from the experience requirements. Such pilots shall, however, be required to carry out familiarisation flights of minimum one hour followed by not less than three solo take-offs and landings within six months preceding the date of application. Such flying shall be carried out under the supervision of an approved Examiner or a Flight Instructor approved by the Director-General and endorsed in the logbook of the licence holder by the approved Examiner/ Instructor.

(f) Flying Training— He shall have completed the flying training in accordance with the syllabus prescribed by the Director-General.

(g) Skill— He shall have demonstrated his competency to perform the procedures and manoeuvres prescribed in the syllabus to the satisfaction of an Examiner, on the type of light sport aircraft to which the application for licence relates, within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application.

Provided that the privilege of the open rating shall be exercised only after having undergone familiarisation with the flight controls, speed profiles, systems, engines and limitations of the aircraft with a qualified light sport pilot having not less than one hundred fifty hours of Pilot-in-command experience and a certificate to that effect shall be recorded by the qualified light sport pilot of that aircraft in the pilot・s log book.

5. Privileges— (a) Subject to provisions of rules 39B, 39C and 42, the privileges of the holder of a Pilot・s Licence (Light Sport Aircraft) shall be to act as Pilot-in-Command of a light sport aircraft, which is entered in the Aircraft Rating of his licence, under the visual flight rules.

(b) A Light Sport Aircraft Pilot shall not:

(i) carry a passenger or property for compensation or hire;

(ii) fly at night;

(iii) fly in Class D and E airspace (controlled airspace) unless he holds a valid Flight Radio Telephony Operator・s Licence (Restricted) and has been trained by an approved instructor with a log book endorsement for operation at any aerodrome with an operating control tower;

(iv) fly at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet mean sea level or 2000 feet above ground level, whichever is higher;

(v) fly when flight or surface visibility is less than 5000 meter;

(vi) fly without visual reference to surface;

(vii) fly contrary to any operating limitation placed on the special certificate of airworthiness of the aircraft being flown; and

(viii) fly contrary to any limit on pilot licence or medical or any other limit.

(c) The holder of a Pilot Licence (Light Sport aircraft) having a total experience of 100 hours of flight time as pilot in command on a light-sport aircraft may impart flying instructions on a light sport aircraft subject to the condition that he has been assessed fit for imparting training by an examiner approved by the Director-General.

(d) The holder of a Flight Instructor・s Rating (Aeroplanes) having a total experience of 15 hours of flight time as pilot in command on a light sport aircraft may impart instructional training on a light sport aircraft.

[Inserted by GSR No 721(E) dated 23-6-2017]