G. Michael Huffman
Sport Aviation Specialties, LLC
1512 Game Trail
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
770-548-1206

Copyright © 2005 - 2021
G. Michael Huffman
All rights reserved

Disclaimer: FAA regulations, orders, policies, ASTM publications, and other documents are subject to change and interpretation. Any information on this site that pertains to those documents is for reference only. It is the responsibility of visitors to verify all such information with the FAA or ASTM.

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Because of reduced demand since the 2009 ELSA registration/certification deadlines, we now regularly schedule only fixed-wing ("airplane") courses. We no longer regularly schedule weight-shift or powered parachute courses.

We typically schedule one fixed-wing course in the spring and another in the fall of each year at locations in the Atlanta area.

However, if you or your organization would like to host a course in your location (airplane, weight-shift, or powered parachute),please contact us. We would need you to commit to at least 12 attendees. Click here to download a document that describes the process of hosting a course.

Note that FAA does not allow mixing of attendees within a given course; each course must be dedicated to a single aircraft class (airplane, weight-shift, or powered parachute).

• For more information, click one of the links below. Or simply scroll down the page.
  

Course Schedule
Course Fee
Registration
Cancellation/Rescheduling
The Light-Sport Repairman Ratings
Course Description
Frequently-Asked Questions

Course Schedule (Back)
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Dates	Aircraft Class	Location	Click for Registration Form- (requires Adobe Reader) Get Adobe Reader DC
Oct 19-20, 2024	Airplane	ATLANTA AREA Covington, GA	Registration Form

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Course Fee (Back)
The course fee is $500.00.

Registration (Back)
Pre-registration and payment of the course fee for our LSRI courses is required. To register, please click the Registration Form link in the Course Schedule above and complete the registration form.

We accept payment by your check in the mail, by Zelle through your online banking application, by Venmo, or by Paypal (Paypal charges us a $15 seller's fee, so if you use this option, please add that amount to your payment). Zelle, Venmo, and Paypal payments are made to our account ID sportaviation@gmail.com.

The Registration Form can be printed, completed in ink, signed, and either mailed to us or scanned/photographed and emailed to us. It can also be completed and signed electronically, saved, and emailed to us.

To complete the form electonically, first open it in Acrobat Reader DC.

*Click Sign in the main menu at the top of the window, then select Fill & Sign.

*In the window that appears, click Sign Yourself, then click Add Signature.

*A window will appear that lets you add a signature either by simply typing it in (the simplest option), by drawing your signature with the mouse (awkward), or by uploading a signature image you have saved on your computer. When you are finished, click Apply.

*Your selected signature will appear as a floating image on the Registration Form; use your mouse to move the image to the Signed: field at the bottom and click the mouse to place it there.

*Save the file to your computer and email it to us as an attachment.

When we receive your registration and payment, we will send you a confirmation by email (preferred) or U.S. mail. If the course is full at that time, we will either hold your payment, awaiting possible cancellations, or return your payment, at your direction.

Cancellation/Rescheduling (Back)
We may choose to cancel courses that do not have adequate attendance; if so, we will return all fees in full.

If you cancel your registration at least two weeks in advance, your tuition will be refunded in full.

The Light-Sport Repairman Ratings (Back)
As part of the Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft regulations, FAA regulation 65.107 created two new repairman ratings for light-sport aircraft:

• Light Sport Repairman- Inspection (LSRI)
  • Authorizes owners of Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft (E-LSAs) to perform the annual condition inspection only on their own aircraft.
    
  • Requires attending an FAA-accepted 16-hour training course.
    
  • Separate courses ahre required for each E-LSA class:
    
    • Airplane
      
    • Weight-shift
      
    • Powered parachute
      
    • Gyroplane
      
    • Glider
      
• Light-Sport Repairman- Maintenance (LSRM)
  
  • Authorizes the holder to perform maintenance and the annual condition inspection on E-LSAs or Special Light-Sport Aircraft (S-LSAs).
  • Authorizes the holder to perform 100-hour inspections on S-LSAs and E-LSAs used for training or towing for compensation or hire
    
  • Requires attending an FAA-accepted 80-120-hour training course
    
  • Separate courses are required for each S-LSA class:
    
    • Airplane
      
    • Weight-shift
      
    • Powered parachute
      
    • Glider

Note: neither of these courses will authorize a person to perform the annual condition inspection on an Experimental-Amateur-Built aircraft (EAB), or a type-certificated production aircraft, even if it qualifies as an LSA.

(Click here for an explanation of E-LSA, S-LSA, and E-AB)

To be eligible for an LSRI rating, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be able to speak and write English
• Be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident
• Attend a 16-hour FAA-accepted training course
• Demonstrate the skill to determine whether a light-sport aircraft is in a condition for safe operation
• Own an E-LSA

Important: you do not need to own an E-LSA when you take the course. The course completion certificate does not expire. If you acquire an E-LSA at some time in the future, you will be eligible for issuance of the repairman certificate. Also, if you acquire another E-LSA in the same category as one you currently own, you may add it to your existing LSRI certificate without taking another 16-hour course. So don't lose your course completion certificate!

Course Description (Back)
FAA Order 8000.84B contains requirements for FAA-accepted training courses for LSRI. Our courses for fixed-wing airplanes, weight-shift aircraft, and powered parachutes are FAA-accepted.

The courses are generally held on weekends, beginning at 8:00 Saturday morning and ending by 6:00 Sunday evening. Unless you live close by, we recommend you arrive Friday evening. Arrangements for transportation, lodging, and meals are your responsibility.

The class sessions start promptly at 8:00 AM each day and end at 5:00 PM, with an hour for lunch and a 15-minute morning and afternoon break. On Sunday evening, students are asked to remain until their final test has been graded and the completion certificate issued--no later than 6:00 PM. Dress is casual--dress for your comfort. In accordance with FAA requirements, each course is limited to 16 students. Class sessions are 75% lecture/discussion using PowerPoint slides and 25% practical projects. Students must be present for all class sessions to qualify for a completion certificate; no makeup sessions are possible.

At the end of the second day, a final open-book test consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions is given. The minimum passing grade is 80%.

Once you pass the final test, we will give you a completion certificate. Note: this is an important document that does not ever expire--store it in a safe location!

If you do not pass the final test, FAA requires that you not receive a course completion certificate. To allow you the best chance of passing the test, we supply study materials when you register.

Obtaining Your Certificate (Back)
Your nearest FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) will issue your Repairman certificate. Go to www.faa.gov to find the FSDO office nearest you.

You will need to actually visit the office, bringing your course completion certificate along with the registration certificate and airworthiness certificate for your ELSA. It is also important to bring a government-issued photo identification, such as a drivers license. The FSDO will require that you fill out an FAA Form 8610-3 "Airman Certification and/or Rating Application- Repairman"; instructions are included with the form.

The FSDO will issue you a temporary repairman certificate on the spot and you'll get the permanent plastic certificate in the mail a few weeks later. The permanent certificate looks like an FAA pilot certificate and identifies your E-LSA by aircraft class, N-number, and serial number.

It is also important to note that, like other FAA certificates, you will be required to notify FAA of address changes within 30 days. Also, alcohol/drug convictions may result in denial or revocation of your LSRI certificate.

Frequently Asked Questions (Back)

Must I own an Experimental Light-Sport Aircraft to obtain an LSRI certificate? ANSWER: Yes, FAA issues your repairman certificate only when you show evidence that you own an E-LSA and present your 16-hour course completion certificate.

Can I benefit from attending your course, even if I do not currently own an Experimental Light-Sport aircraft? ANSWER: Definitely! Your course completion certificate (which does not expire) will make you eligible for the repairman certificate when you acquire an E-LSA in the future. Beyond that, perhaps you simply want to learn more about inspection of sport aircraft.

What if I buy another E-LSA-must I attend another repairman course to have my rating apply to the new aircraft? ANSWER: As long as the new aircraft is in the same E-LSA "class" as your repairman rating (i.e., airplane, weight-shift, powered parachute, glider, gyroplane, or lighter-than-air), you would not need to attend another course. All you would need to do is present your local FSDO with evidence of ownership of your new E-LSA, and they will issue a new repairman certificate identifying that aircraft. In fact, if you own multiple E-LSAs, they can all be listed on your repairman certificate, assuming they are all in the same class.

I plan to use my ELSA for towing of unpowered ultralight vehicles for compensation or hire. I understand that, in addition to the annual condition inspection, I'll be required to have a 100-hr inspection. Will the 16-hour course allow me to perform the 100-hr inspection? ANSWER: Unfortunately, no. The 100-hr inspection must be done by an A&P mechanic or by a light-sport repairman with a "maintenance" rating--a graduate of the 80-120-hr course.

I own an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft (EAB)--will the course allow me to perform my own annual condition inspections? ANSWER: Unfortunately, no. The course applies only to owners of Experimental Light-Sport aircraft. To be eligible for an amateur-built repairman rating, you must be the original builder.

How can I be certain that my aircraft is an ELSA? ANSWER: Owners sometimes confuse the fact that, although their aircraft meets all the LSA weight, speed, and configuration requirements to be flown by a Sport Pilot, it may not be certificated as an ELSA and thus the owner may not be qualified for an LSRI certificate by attending a 16-hour course.

The wording on the airworthiness certificate is the key: the top line labeled CATEGORY/DESIGNATION will say "Experimental" and the second line labeled PURPOSE will say "Operating Light-Sport- [aircraft class]." In that case, the 16-hour course applies:

On the other hand, if the second line says "Operating Amateur-Built," the aircraft is an EAB and the 16-hour course unfortunately does not apply:

Note that these simulated examples show the same manufacturer/model aircraft. That illustrates the fact that a given aircraft meeting LSA specifications might in one case be certificated as an ELSA and in another case as an EAB.

Unfortunately, there is no way to change an aircraft from EAB to ELSA certification.

I own a Special Light-Sport aircraft--will the 16-hour course allow me to perform maintenance and my annual condition inspections? ANSWER: Unfortunately, no. The annual condition inspection and any maintenance other than simple things like changing oil, changing tires, etc, must be done by an A&P mechanic or by a light-sport repairman with a "maintenance" rating--a graduate of the 80-120-hr course.

I own an Aeronca Champ [or other similar type-certificated aircraft] that meets all the LSA weight, speed, and configuration requirements to be flown by a Sport Pilot--will the 16-hour course allow me to perform maintenance and the annual condition inspection? ANSWER: Unfortunately, no. The annual condition inspection and any maintenance other than simple things like changing oil, changing tires, etc, must be done by an A&P mechanic.