Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Avionics Equipment

Ah, yes, the debate starts once more. There was a long-running Internet debate over these questions about four years ago when the light-sport program began and now the points being brought up here are the same as then. I hesitated to even bring up the subject for that reason.

No matter what one's personal definition of an "engine-driven electrical system" might be, the FAA Light-Sport office says the exemption does not apply to any engine that has the capability of supplying electrical power, whether or not it is hooked up.

One more thing: someone asked about transponders in ultralights. The answer is that FAR 91.215(b) applies to "aircraft" (by the official FAA definition). An unlicensed ultralight under FAR 103 is not an aircraft; it is an "ultralight vehicle" (by the official FAA definition). Therefore, 91.215(b) does not apply to ultralights. FAR 103 prohibits operation of an ultralight within Class B airspace, but not merely inside the Mode C ring. Thus, an ultralight with an engine-driven electrical system would seem to be legal operating without a transponder/encoder under the floor of the Class B inside the Mode C ring.

Of course, as I said, all this is tempered by the real-world facts that Approach Control often does not want to know about low-and-slow aircraft out near the edges of the Mode C ring.

Hope this helps!

Mike

G. Michael Huffman
FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative- AP, WS, & PP
Course Provider- ELSA Repairman- Inspection- AP, WS, & PP
Course Provider- LSA Maintenance & Inspection for A&Ps
SportAviationSpecialties dot com
904-206-0522

--- In Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com, "r" <lightflyer@...> wrote:
>
> --- In Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com, "apollonorthamerica" <apollonorthamerica@> wrote:
> >
> > Rotax 447 has an engine driven electrical system. Its has a lighting coil comes with the engine and can be hooked up using a rectifier.
> > Abid
>
> Yes, you're right.
>
> On the Rotax 582 I had a regulator, battery, electric start, radio, strobes, nav lights and GPS all powered by the lighting coils.
> That airplane had an engine driven electrical system.
>
> On my 377, the lighting coils were there but the leads remained capped and stowed.
> That airplane didn't have an electrical system.
>

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