The US Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is lobbying the Federal Aviation Administration to raise the weight limit on the proposed new light sport aircraft category.
Commenting on the FAA's proposals draft, the EAA recommends the gross weight limit be increased from 560kg to 590kg (1,232lb to 1,300lb) to allow use of a wider range of engines and the installation of floats.
The EAA says that the higher gross weight would "eliminate unfair market advantage for the lighter-weight two-stroke [Bombardier] Rotax engines" by allowing the use of some Teledyne Continental and Textron Lycoming powerplants, as well as other aircraft engines and automobile engine conversions. The FAA proposal limits the light sport aircraft category to single-engine, two-seat, fixed-gear aircraft.
In its comments, the EAA has also asked the FAA to eliminate the 87kt (160km/h) speed limit on student sport pilots, arguing that there is no valid reason for the restriction, which would require flights schools to maintain separate fleets of aircraft - for training and for rental.
The EAA says stall speed, not top speed, is the most relevant to flight training.
Source: Flight International
