View Full Version : Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) outside the US?
Can anyone tell me whether a US LSA is legally allowed to fly outside the US, or is it restricted to operation in the USA only (thereby preferably quoting the relevant legal basis (FAR))?
Many thanks in advance!
Brooklands
29th Nov 2007, 12:47
EDMJ,
If you're thinking of operating an N registered LSA in Germany, then I think you need to contact the German authorities to see if they would allow it. In the UK, the CAA can grant permission to operate an aircraft without an ICAO compliant C of A (eg US experimental or LSA) for upto 30 days per year. I don't think that the FAA have any objection to where in the world you operate the aircraft, but I have no factual basis for that supposition.
If you're thinking of operating an LSA on the D register in Germany, then you'll have to look at the German rules for homebuilt/microlight aircraft. There's no European equivalent (yet) of the US LSA rules. I'm not sure what the rules in Germany are, but in the UK factory built microlights are allowed, but if you want to operate something with a higher weight limit, then you'll have to build it yourself (from a kit), and operate it on a PFA/LAA permit to fly. At the moment, in the UK, there's no way to operate at factory built LSA
as its too heavy to operate as a microlight, and so would have to have a full C of A - which would require it to be certified.
Brooklands
Many thanks, Brooklands!
I am already aware of most of the points you raised; my main query is what the FAA thinks of an LSA being "abroad".
And no, I am not thinking of operating an LSA in this manner, I am just curious as to whether we are going to see any in Europe, like we do with all the other N-reg aircraft.
“I am just curious as to whether we are going to see any in Europe, like we do with all the other N-reg aircraft.”
Yes, there are lots. The US LSA category is dominated by European designs which meet CS-VLA. The LSA cat has a speed limit of 120kn and does not allow wobbly props or disappearing Dunlops and has a weight limit of 600kg. The VLA cat has no such limitations (weight is limited to 750kg) so you can get VLA aircraft which will cruse at 155kn and has all the toys. The other advantage is that most of the VLA’s in the UK are home built which will save you a lot on running costs.:ok:
Rod1
@Rod1, with all due to respect:
I know there are lots of aircraft in Europe which fly in the US as LSA's. These are however all registered in Europe and usually as microlights. I have yet to see such an aircraft in Europe with an N-reg!
The US-LSA category are indeed (for the moment at least) dominated by European designs, which however mostly have their origin in microlights. The Flight Design CT, Remos G3/600, Ikarus C-42, Evektor Eurostar/Sportstar, Zlin Savage, for example, are only available here as microlights, none of them as VLA's.
I fly a Remos G3/600 registered in Germany as a microlight (D-M...), which is identical to the LSA version. Its structural MTOW is 600 kg, but the legal MTOW is 472.5 kg!
The only aircraft I can think of off the top of my head which are available in Europe in microlight and VLA versions are the Tecnam P-92 and P-96, and the Sky Arrow. The latter is available in a plethora of versions, and was even sold in the US before the advent of the LSA category, and it is beyond me on which version the LSA version is based.
And you may very well be able to build a kit aircraft designed to according to VLA criteria, but the end result will be certified as an Experimental/Permit aircraft and not as a VLA!
philipnz
30th Nov 2007, 20:13
My new Remos (#228) is only a week or so away from completion and will be on it's way to me in NZ expected to arrive mid january.
In New Zealand it currently has to fit in to the microlight category which has a MTOW of 544kg but the NZ CAA is expected to introduce a LSA class which will differ from the USA in that it will allow flight adjustable props and retractable undercarriage as they are currently allowed for microlights. I don't think speed is addressed either. The only difference i can see between the existing microlight rules and LSA is the greater weight and being able to fly over built up areas. Pilot licensing should remain the same. A Recreational Pilot License is being introduced here but is targeted at much larger (heavier) aircraft.
Some think the USA will adjust their thinking on the prop/undercarriage issue
”The US-LSA category are indeed (for the moment at least) dominated by European designs, which however mostly have their origin in microlights. The Flight Design CT, Remos G3/600, Ikarus C-42, Evektor Eurostar/Sportstar, Zlin Savage, for example, are only available here as microlights, none of them as VLA's. “
In the UK the C42, Eurostar, MCR and almost all the ones that are available in the UK have VLA and Micro versions. The list is quite long so there are probably some exceptions. All LSA’s that are brought into the UK which are not UK approved already are tested against CS-VLA.
”I fly a Remos G3/600 registered in Germany as a microlight (D-M...), which is identical to the LSA version. Its structural MTOW is 600 kg, but the legal MTOW is 472.5 kg! “
No idea, the Remos is not UK approved and I know nothing about it.
”And you may very well be able to build a kit aircraft designed to according to VLA criteria, but the end result will be certified as an Experimental/Permit aircraft and not as a VLA!”
The PFA/LAA test all aircraft in the VLA category to CS-VLA and call them VLA’s. I do not know what system is used in Germany.
My point was that a VLA version of an LSA is likely to be superior, and in the UK at least, there is a lot to choose from.
Rod1
Happy VLA owner.
In the UK the C42, Eurostar, MCR and almost all the ones that are available in the UK have VLA and Micro versions. The list is quite long so there are probably some exceptions. All LSA’s that are brought into the UK which are not UK approved already are tested against CS-VLA.
Well that's certainly new to me, so thanks for clarifying that for me!
What I don't understand about it however is that I thought a VLA-approval was valid all over Europe. So if for example a C42 is deemed to be VLA-conformal in the UK, why can't I then buy one here in Germany and have it registered as a "real" aircraft (with D-E...) registration and fly it with a normal PPL? Never seen one here registered as such either; are there any of the types you mentioned above flying as "real" aircraft in the UK?
The PFA/LAA test all aircraft in the VLA category to CS-VLA and call them VLA’s.
But are they also certified as such, i.e. with a full, unrestricted CoA?
“are there any of the types you mentioned above flying as "real" aircraft in the UK?”
All the aircraft I mentioned are flying as “real aircraft” in the UK. The Eurostar for example can be a micro or a VLA. The only difference is the fitting of an electric fuel pump to the VLA version to comply with CS-VLA instead of Section S (the UK micro design code). My aircraft is an MCR01 club which is a VLA, the MCR01 ULC (which was designed after the Club) is the micro version.
“But are they also certified as such, i.e. with a full, unrestricted CoA?”
No, the VLA cat is a design code, so if an aircraft passes it is a VLA, if it is home built or factory built it is still a VLA. This is the PFA position.
I do not know the rules on flying a factory built VLA in German airspace. I assume that this is allowed, but I do not know. Do you have aircraft like the AT3 in Germany?
Rod1
I do not know the rules on flying a factory built VLA in German airspace. I assume that this is allowed, but I do not know. Do you have aircraft like the AT3 in Germany?
CS-VLA is an EASA design code. If the aircraft is designed by an EASA approved design organisation, built in a EASA approved factory and approved to CS-VLA then it can be sold, registered and flown in all the EASA countries - that's the whole point of EASA.
If a VLA aircraft is homebuilt it is approved under national rules (eg in the UK given a permit to fly usually administered by the PFA). Flying outside the UK requires the consent of the county visited (although there are blanket permissions).
A UK factory built microlight is "built" by a CAA A1 approved company and approved to Section S - a UK design standard for microlights and has a permit to fly administered by the BMAA or PFA. Flying outside the UK requires the consent of the county visited (although there are blanket permissions).
I say "built" because many UK factory built microlights are manufactured by a foreign subcontractor to the UK A1 company, but the UK company acts as the design authority and performs the final inspections.
Dave