1.3 Aeronautical Experience, Training & Instructor Endorsements

Aeronautical Experience, Training & Instructor Endorsements

Quick Answer: Airplane sport-pilot candidates must meet the hour and cross-country milestones in § 61.313 (commonly summarized as 20 hours with 15 dual and 5 solo). After certification, additional privileges are added mostly by instructor endorsements—Class B/C/D airspace (§ 61.325), VH bands (§ 61.327), night (§ 61.329), and retractable gear / manual controllable-pitch propellers (§ 61.331). Adding airplane privileges (or helicopter with simplified flight controls) to a sport pilot certificate requires a practical test, not merely a proficiency check.

Airplane Experience Minimums (§ 61.313)

Focus on the Airplane category (the SPA knowledge test path). Confirm the exact hour table in the current eCFR when you train, but exam questions historically emphasize these airplane milestones:

Calendar-month trap: Prep flown in March does not cover a June practical test—the 2-hour prep block must fall in the two calendar months before the test month.

Endorsement Architecture After MOSAIC

Controlled Airspace (§ 61.325)

Without this endorsement you may not operate in Class B, C, or D airspace; at an airport in that airspace; or to/from/through/at an airport with an operating control tower. Training plus a logbook endorsement unlocks the privilege. Class B authorizations are often airport-specific.

VH Endorsements (§ 61.327)

VH is maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power.

• VH ≤ 87 KCAS (airplane): training and endorsement under § 61.327(a), unless you logged PIC in such an airplane before April 2, 2010.
• VH > 87 KCAS: training and endorsement under § 61.327(b).

MOSAIC removed the old absolute VH ceiling from the aircraft eligibility rule, but the 87-knot endorsement split remains.

Night Privileges (§ 61.329)

To act as PIC at night you must:

1. Receive 3 hours of night flight training in the category and class, including:
   • At least one night cross-country with a landing at an airport at least 25 NM from departure (except powered parachutes); and
   • At least 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop at night.
2. Hold a part 67 medical or meet BasicMed (§ 61.113(i)) conditions.
3. Receive a logbook endorsement certifying night proficiency.

Retractable Gear and Manual Controllable-Pitch Propellers (§ 61.331)

§ 61.316 generally expects fixed landing gear and limits propeller types, but § 61.316(b) / § 61.331 let you operate:

• Aircraft with retractable landing gear after the gear-specific training/endorsement; and
• Airplanes with a manual controllable-pitch propeller after the propeller-specific training/endorsement.

Automated controllable-pitch propellers are treated differently from manual controllable-pitch systems in § 61.316(a)(9)—read the regulation carefully on exam day.

Adding Category/Class Privileges (§ 61.321 vs practical test)

For many non-airplane categories (for example, weight-shift-control), § 61.321 still uses training plus a proficiency check with a different authorized instructor and a logbook endorsement—no separate FAA knowledge test.

Exception (MOSAIC): Adding airplane single-engine land/sea privileges, or helicopter with simplified flight controls, requires a practical test aligned with the applicable PTS/ACS—not a mere proficiency-check endorsement.

Carry the logbook pages that prove every endorsement you rely on whenever you fly.

Knowledge Test Authorization vs Practical Test

Before you sit the SPA knowledge test, an authorized instructor must endorse that you completed ground training or a home-study review of the § 61.309 knowledge areas and are prepared for the test (§ 61.307). Passing SPA produces an Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) that remains usable toward the practical test for 24 calendar months.

The practical test itself is a separate event. Within the two calendar months preceding the month of that checkride, you must log the required practical-test preparation dual time. Candidates who finish the written exam early still need currency of that prep block—do not confuse AKTR validity with prep-time currency.

Logging Endorsements Clearly

Write endorsements so a ramp inspector or examiner can read:

• The regulation citation (§ 61.325, § 61.327, § 61.329, § 61.331, or § 61.321);
• The aircraft category/class and, when required, make/model or airport;
• Instructor certificate number and date.

If you change airplanes frequently, keep a dedicated endorsement tab in the logbook. Sport pilots must carry the endorsements that authorize the flight they are conducting.

Training Efficiency Tips Tied to the Blueprint

• Pair § 61.325 airspace training with towered-airport pattern work so radio and airspace rules reinforce each other.
• For § 61.327 high-VH training, emphasize energy management, pitch/power coordination, and recognition of higher closure rates in the pattern.
• For § 61.329 night training, practice go-arounds and full-stop landings until scanning and depth perception at night are automatic.
• For § 61.331 retractable-gear training, use the aircraft checklist religiously—gear-up landings are a classic endorsement-gap accident mode.