The FAA’s Sport Pilot regulations can be found in 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart J. The regulations were originally published in 2004 and were updated in 2025. The most notable change is that sport pilots (and student pilots who are “seeking” a sport pilot certificate) may fly a wider variety of single engine aircraft, including our fleet of Cessnas, without obtaining a FAA Medical Certificate. Also, even though the FAA minimum requirements for flight training are significantly lower for the sport pilot certificate than for the private pilot certificate, in reality you will spend about the same amount of time and money earning a sport pilot certificate as you would a private pilot certificate because the standards for evaluation on the FAA practical test (aka the check ride) are essentially the same. At Holladay Aviation, all students and rated pilots have access to the same aircraft and as such are treated equally with regard to proficiency, performance and safety.

Please remember that while no medical certificate is required to operate as a sport pilot, you must abide by FAR 61.23 which states:

A person using a U.S. driver’s license to meet the requirements of paragraph (c) while exercising sport pilot privileges must—

(i) Comply with each restriction and limitation imposed by that person’s U.S. driver’s license and any judicial or administrative order applying to the operation of a motor vehicle;

(ii) Have been found eligible for the issuance of at least a third-class airman medical certificate at the time of his or her most recent application (if the person has applied for a medical certificate);

(iii) Not have had his or her most recently issued medical certificate (if the person has held a medical certificate) suspended or revoked or most recent Authorization for a Special Issuance of a Medical Certificate withdrawn; and

(iv) Not know or have reason to know of any medical condition that would make that person unable to operate an aircraft meeting the performance limits and design requirements of § 61.316 in a safe manner.

Privileges and Limitations

As a Sport Pilot, you may:

  • Act as pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft for which you are rated. If you rent our aircraft, this will include those aircraft for which you have completed a rental checkout.
  • Fly for pleasure or personal travel.
  • Carry one passenger and share the flight expenses equally.
  • Fly during the day only when visibility is at least 3 statute miles, with visual reference to the ground at all times (i.e. no flying over a cloud layer, no special VFR clearances)

You may not:

For more information see: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61#61.315

FAA Training Requirements

  • Minimum 20 hours of flight time, which includes:
    • 5 hours of solo flight time, including one solo cross-country flight of at least 75 nautical miles total distance
    • 15 hours of flight training from an instructor, including 2 hours of training in preparation for the practical test
  • Complete an instructor-administered Pre-Solo Knowledge Test
  • Pass the FAA Sport Pilot Airman Knowledge Test
  • Pass the FAA Sport Pilot Practical Test (includes a knowledge and skills evaluation)

Remember these are just the FAA minimum requirements! Actual flight time to prepare for the practical test varies; the national average is 80 hours according to FAA data.

Even though no simulated instrument training is required by FAA other than to prepare the student for solo cross country, students training for a sport pilot certificate at Holladay Aviation will receive the same 3 hours of instrument training as private pilot students. Sport pilot students will also receive some instruction on night flying operations, even though this is not required by FAA.