Pilot requirements

[John_KB]

Is a PPL Required to fly and maintain a Pietenpol, and if so does anyone have any good Flight school recommendations? Trying to figure it out before i sink money into building one.

[taildrags]

I'm not an instructor so I can't answer your question definitively, but the Air Camper fits into the Light Sport aircraft category and as such, you could operate one (solo only) with a student pilot certificate, a valid medical, and a tailwheel endorsement. You could also operate an Air Camper (dual or solo) with a Sport Pilot certificate.

As far as maintaining a Piet, if you obtain the Repairman's Certificate (by demonstrating that you were either the sole builder or you at least completed the majority of it), you can do all of your maintenance and repairs. If you don't hold the Repairman's cert for your airplane, you can still perform all the maintenance and repairs but you'll need to have the annual condition inspection performed and signed off by an A&P mechanic. Many A&Ps (like mine) offer a very reasonable rate for the inspection if the owner assists. For example, I remove and replace all the inspection covers and cowlings, pull the wheels and regrease the bearings, change the oil and clean the oil screen, relax and retorque the prop bolts, and a lot of the other time-consuming parts of the annual inspection.

Let us know where you're located and maybe someone can respond to your question about flight school recommendations, unless you're willing to travel to other states to get to a good school and instructor. There are a number of good schools that offer instruction and checkout in tailwheel aircraft.

[John_KB]

-snip-
Let us know where you're located and maybe someone can respond to your question about flight school recommendations, unless you're willing to travel to other states to get to a good school and instructor. There are a number of good schools that offer instruction and checkout in tailwheel aircraft.

Central florida, traveling to another state is not really an option.

[Don Youngblood]

Look at <www.dylanaviation.com>, Jim Alsip. He's also on YouTube.

[Clay Hammond]

Are you an EAA member? If so ask around your local chapter. If not consider joining one to get your foot in the door at the airport. Central FL has lots of flight school options, all within a stone's throw. Some are high dollar puppy mills for the airlines, other's will be one instructor and his airplane at the local strip...many at some level in between. Find someone who will do Part 61 training, preferrably in a taildragger (Cub, Champ, Citabria, Cessna 120/140). Consider just getting your Sport Pilot license to start out, you can always progress further if you want to later on down the road. Sport Pilot will get you in the air cheapest and fastest.

[Steve D]

One caveat on a Sport Pilot flying a Pietenpol. The approved gross weight can't be over 1320 pounds. Not a problem for most, but the builder gets to pick his gross. If he said 1350lbs, a sport pilot can't fly it.

[Steve D]

There is one nuance to becoming a Sport pilot. If you get your instruction from a Sport Pilot Certified Flight Instructor (CFIS), that is ONLY good for a Sport Pilot. If you later move on to become a Private Pilot you basically start over. You will have the skills and should move through the required 40 hours quickly.

If you get your Sport Pilot Flight instruction from a regular Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI), then all of that instruction counts toward either a recreational or private pilot.

If you only want to fly a Pietenpol and/or Piper cubs and other LSAs, Not a problem. But just be aware of the differences.