---
kind: "section"
citation: "14 C.F.R. § 61.311"
title: "14"
number: "61.311"
heading: "What flight proficiency requirements must I meet to apply for a sport pilot certificate?"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/14/61.311"
---

# §61.311. What flight proficiency requirements must I meet to apply for a sport pilot certificate?


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:

- (a) **Preflight preparation.**
- (b) **Preflight procedures.**
- (c) **Airport, heliport, seaplane base, and gliderport operations, as applicable.**
- (d) **Hovering maneuvers (applicable only to helicopters).**
- (e) **Takeoffs (or launches), landings, and go-arounds.**
- (f) **Performance maneuvers and, for gliders, performance speeds.**
- (g) **Ground reference maneuvers (not applicable to gliders, helicopters, and balloons).**
- (h) **Soaring techniques (applicable only to gliders).**
- (i) **Navigation.**
- (j) **Slow flight (not applicable to lighter-than-air aircraft, helicopters, and powered parachutes).**
- (k) **Stalls (not applicable to lighter-than-air aircraft, gyroplanes, helicopters, and powered parachutes).**
- (l) **Emergency operations.**
- (m) **Post-flight procedures.**

## Notes

### 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]