Cheap way to build some time! (Fun too)

[SkyWolfe]

Hiya guys/gals!

Okie, so I went flying in an ultralight the other day... I honestly didn't care too much about it, before I got in there. It was totally decked out, with EFIS too! Anyway, after I flew it, I had a ton of fun! It handled great, and flew better then a 152, except it cost a ton less...

What I didn't know is SOME of that time can be logged towards CPL/ATPL. Well for me, it would be towards an ATPL I suppose (one day...) I hear it's 15 hours for CPL and 25 for ATPL? Can anyone find this?

I found 50 hours could be logged on a 3 axis ultralight.... So says the CARs so I am slightly confused.... Anyway... I am also just sharing that I was both surprised at how much fun it was, and that I could log a bit of it. That can save a crap load of money, and I can say I used EFIS

Wolfie

[Grey_Wolf]

421.30 (7)(b)(iv) - CPL Aeroplane
If an applicant holds a Pilot Permit — Ultra-light Aeroplane, a Recreational Pilot Permit — Aeroplane or a Private Pilot Licence — Aeroplane, a maximum of 25 hours pilot‑in‑command flight time in three axis ultra-light aeroplanes shall be credited towards the 200 hours total flight time requirement but this time shall not be credited towards the 100 hour pilot‑in‑command flight time. (amended 2006/12/14; previous version)

421.34 (6)(b) - ATPL Aeroplane
Where an applicant holds a Pilot Permit - Ultra-light Aeroplane, a Recreational Pilot Permit – Aeroplane, a Private Pilot Licence – Aeroplane or a Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane, a maximum of 50 hours flight time in three axis ultra-light aeroplanes shall be credited towards the total 1500 hour flight time requirement.
(amended 2005/06/01; previous version)

[SkyWolfe]

Thank you!

[iflyforpie]

One of the most fun times I had was flying a Chinook Ultralight. The view out was incredible and chugging along slowed down to 45 mph at 300 feet feels perfectly natural. Taildragger to boot (the most docile one you could imagine) and plenty of power with the Rotax 582. The best part is you never have to worry about how much fuel you have with the translucent wing mounted fuel tanks.



Another cool ultralight at the complete opposite end of the spectrum is the Flight Designs CT--which meets AULA standards in Canada. Composite construction and available with just about every gadget imaginable. They cruise at 120kts on a 100hp Rotax 912.

[SkyWolfe]

Here's my baby!

[E-Flyer]

An ultra light with EFIS going out for cheap? worth checking out...

[MichaelP]

The thing is that there are many aeroplanes built before the advent of "Advanced Ultralight", "Light Sport", or "Very Light Aircraft".
I've flown many aeroplanes of olde that would fit into these new categories.

The problem is, that if you want to fly an aeroplane that is technologically advanced and factory built, there is nothing produced today that will compete with these aircraft.

So if you do not need flight hours beyond the amount you can use for the PPL, CPL, or ATPL, then you can have huge fun, fly extremely efficiently using less fuel, and unleaded at that!, go faster than equivalent old aircraft such as dare I say the Cessna 152!, and know that you can easily get into and out of a patch of grass a heavy old aeroplane couldn't.
It is why LSA aircraft have expanded so well around the world...

Only in Canada are these aircraft relegated to the position of something like a Weedhopper!
There's some snobbery as well... Boundary Tower call our aircraft "Ultralight", "Homebuilt!", and sometimes they're nice and call it a "SportStar" which is correct. (90KTAS@60% power, $99 an hour wet, no surcharges, plus taxes).

Many of these aircraft are better built than a lot of the older aircraft.
Perhaps the Rolls Royce of such aircraft is the Remos from Germany:

[North Shore]

So I can blast around at 90kts, in an a/c with a pretty advanced (by the looks of it - for light aeroplanes) panel, two sticks etc, and it doesn't count towards an ATPL, yet if I was to rent a beat-to-ratshit 150, with a single radio and ADF and steam gauges, that time is somehow 'superior' in the eyes of the rule-makers? Doesn't make sense to me. Seems as if technology is ahead of the rules in this case..

[SkyWolfe]

and it doesn't count towards an ATPL

Actually you can log 50 hours towards your ATPL

[MichaelP]

I flew down to Florida and back for Sun 'N Fun.
The controllers were confused... "Charlie India Zulu Fox Romeo????"... "It's registered as an 'ultralight'", I'd replied again and again... "But our radar shows you doing 125 knots!"... "Yes".

77 hours of cross country and demo flying in total and none of that cross country time can be counted towards a Canadian licence because it's an ultralight.

On the way back we dropped into a place called Mogolon or something near Phoenix. The wind was howling so I left Luc in the cockpit while I tied us down with the chains provided there.
There was a Cessna 172RG in the next spot with two blokes huddled under it... Far too windy for them.
We went to a meeting and lunch and a couple of hours later we prepared to leave, Luc sat and flew while I unchained and we were off... The two blokes were still huddled under that Cessna, it was still too windy for them.
We carried on to Flagstaff...

These aircraft have caught on all over Europe where they economically transport their owners and renters around the place, avoiding landing fees at airports, and doing their own thing. The way personal flying is meant to be.

[Invertago]

Yes, but there are many things a sportster cant teach you that a C150 can... er... like... ahh... well, emergencies and failures are much more realistic in a 40 year old C150... oh and students are more motivated to learn about forced landings when they fly behind a lycosaurus!!! So.. take that MichaelP and your new fun looking cost effective airplane!!!

[shannon]

While I love the CT and its cousins I prefer true ultralights, so much fun with reasonable costs. Its real flying to me.

[MichaelP]

So.. take that MichaelP and your new fun looking cost effective airplane!!!

We still have to fly an 'aeroplane' to do aerobatics though