§61.311. What flight proficiency requirements must I meet to apply for a sport pilot certificate?
14 C.F.R. § 61.311
To apply for a sport pilot certificate, you must receive and log ground and flight training from an authorized instructor on the following areas of operation, as appropriate, for airplane single-engine land or sea, glider, gyroplane, helicopter, airship, balloon, powered parachute land or sea, weight-shift-control aircraft land or sea privileges:
Preflight preparation.
Preflight procedures.
Airport, heliport, seaplane base, and gliderport operations, as applicable.
Hovering maneuvers (applicable only to helicopters).
Takeoffs (or launches), landings, and go-arounds.
Performance maneuvers and, for gliders, performance speeds.
Ground reference maneuvers (not applicable to gliders, helicopters, and balloons).
Soaring techniques (applicable only to gliders).
Navigation.
Slow flight (not applicable to lighter-than-air aircraft, helicopters, and powered parachutes).
Stalls (not applicable to lighter-than-air aircraft, gyroplanes, helicopters, and powered parachutes).
Emergency operations.
Post-flight procedures.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Amendments
[Docket FAA-2023-1377, Amdt. 61-159, 90 FR 35213, July 24, 2025]
Source
Source: Docket FAA-2001-11133, 69 FR 44869, July 27, 2004, unless otherwise noted.
Authority
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, 44701-44703, 44707, 44709-44711, 44729, 44903, 45102-45103, 45301-45302.
Source
Source: Docket 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997, unless otherwise noted.
Amendments
[Docket FAA-2023-1377, Amdt. 61-159, 90 FR 35213, July 24, 2025]