Private Aircraft

[joefremont]

I have been doing some thinking, currently we have some aircraft designated as 'commercial' where both Airlines and private pilots can buy, and 'Private' where only private pilots can buy. Currently most of the 'private' aircraft are either gliders that don't really fit into the FSA system or single seat former military aircraft that have no real use in an airline setting. But in general if it has a role even in training roles we have allowed the aircraft.

But today someone asked me to make the Icon A5 available and I discovered it was in the database but marked as private so I updated some of the stats that were way off and marked it as commercial, but that got me thinking. The Icon A5 is sold as a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and LSA aircraft are not allowed to conduct 'commercial operations', its just against the rules.

So I am asking myself, should we allow airlines to operate LSA aircraft? The aircraft currently in the database marked as commercial that may be LSA's are:

Quad City Challenger II 379 kg
Aerospool WT9 Dynamic 450 kg
Skyranger Skyranger UL 450 kg
Aeroprakt Foxbat 450 kg
Diamond HK36 530 kg
Scheibe SF-25 Motorfalke 530 kg
Rans S7 Courier 545 kg
Skyeton K10 Swift LSA 575 kg
Aviat Christen Eagle II 590 kg
Cessna 162 Skycatcher 599 kg
CZAW Sportcruiser 600 kg
Tecnam P92 Echo Super 600 kg
Tecnam P92 Eaglet 600 kg
Tecnam P2002 JF 600 kg
Tecnam P92 600 kg
Czech Sport Aircraft Sportcruiser 600 kg
Aeroprakt A-32 600 kg
Tecnam P2002 Sierra 600 kg
JMB VL-3 Sprint 600 kg
Flight Design CTSW 600 kg
Pipistrel VIRUS SW 121 600 kg
Icon Aircraft A5 686 kg

If we do make this an official rule I will not take any of these away from airlines but will mark them as private so they won't be able to sell to others or buy more.

[joefremont]

I may just have answered my own question, according to wikipedia.

Aircraft licensing
Can be manufactured and sold ready-to-fly under a new Special Light Sport Aircraft certification category. Aircraft must meet industry consensus standards. Aircraft under this certification may be used for sport and recreation, flight training, and aircraft rental.

[Cat]

FYI - The FAA has been adamant about not allowing "Flying Ubers".

From the EAA:

https://www.eaa.org/eaa/aviation-intere ... privileges