So I want to be candid here, and have a discussion on something that just doesn't make any sense. With this topic I know a lot of PPL holders look down upon Ultralight aircraft in Canada and Ultralight licenses so I would like to put a full stop on that discussion before it even begins.
Why is it that Transport Canada does not want to, or is unwilling to match the specs for Light Sport Aircraft in Canada? There are so many excellent aircraft out there that fit within the LS community in the US, yet can't be registered as an Ultralight in Canada because certain details.
Why is there no desire to level the playing field here? I get the same feeling of "lets just leave things the way they are, we don't want to change anything" coming from UPAC (Ultralight Pilots Association of Canada) and from what I've heard in in various discussions with UL permit holders and PPL holders, the General Aviation community doesn't want this either because the Ultralight Community is seen as the redheaded step child.
Canadian Ultralight Aircraft
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micheblea83
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Re: Canadian Ultralight Aircraft
A better question is why the US didn't align the LSA program with the Advanced UL program in Canada.
Re: Canadian Ultralight Aircraft
I think you're wrong here. I'm a helicopter snob but I don't look down on fixed wing aviators, especially not ones like the ultralight community. I think it's great to encourage people into aviation at the most modest price point.micheblea83 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 25, 2021 12:30 pm So I want to be candid here, and have a discussion on something that just doesn't make any sense. With this topic I know a lot of PPL holders look down upon Ultralight aircraft in Canada and Ultralight licenses so I would like to put a full stop on that discussion before it even begins.
Why is it that Transport Canada does not want to, or is unwilling to match the specs for Light Sport Aircraft in Canada? There are so many excellent aircraft out there that fit within the LS community in the US, yet can't be registered as an Ultralight in Canada because certain details.
Why is there no desire to level the playing field here? I get the same feeling of "lets just leave things the way they are, we don't want to change anything" coming from UPAC (Ultralight Pilots Association of Canada) and from what I've heard in in various discussions with UL permit holders and PPL holders, the General Aviation community doesn't want this either because the Ultralight Community is seen as the redheaded step child.
As far as regulatory alignment between countries, it's getting better all the time, just not in your category yet.
Re: Canadian Ultralight Aircraft
TC doesn't have a mandate to dance to the tune sung by the FAA. Why should it? Canada is (still) a sovereign country with its own laws, for better or worse.micheblea83 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 25, 2021 12:30 pm Why is it that Transport Canada does not want to, or is unwilling to match the specs for Light Sport Aircraft in Canada?
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
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Squaretail
- Rank 6
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Re: Canadian Ultralight Aircraft
There's simply just not enough demand. This is Canada remember with a population less than California. The current set up simply satisfies most demands. From what I have seen the LSA category in the US just didn't turn out to be the game changer many thought it was going to be. I recall reading an article where out of 40+ initial manufacturers of LSAs in the United States, less than 10 of them are still making some form of this category. Big players like Piper bowed out. Now if there's not enough of a market for something aviation related in the US, there isn't a market for it anywhere. That's not to say its dead, and pressures might revive the demand, but its probably just not as great as you think. The niche is small. After all, Ultralight guys in my experience aren't the sorts to want more regulation that may infringe on their activity.Why is there no desire to level the playing field here?
I'm not sure what's more depressing: That everyone has a price, or how low the price always is.
Re: Canadian Ultralight Aircraft
Because the FAA is the outlier?micheblea83 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 25, 2021 12:30 pm Why is it that Transport Canada does not want to, or is unwilling to match the specs for Light Sport Aircraft in Canada? There are so many excellent aircraft out there that fit within the LS community in the US, yet can't be registered as an Ultralight in Canada because certain details.
Canada's are more inline with European microlight regulations - and have been in place since 1982.
The American LSA rules came much later in 2006.
