Preflight
The preflight inspection of any airplane is critical to mitigating flight risks. A pilot transitioning into an LSA should allow adequate
time to become familiar with the airplane prior to a first flight. First, the pilot and flight instructor should review the POH and cover
the airplane’s limitations, systems, performance, weight and balance, normal procedures, emergency procedures, and handling
requirements. [Figure 17-9]
Figure 17-9. Pilot’s Operating Handbook for a LSA.
Inside the Airplane
Transitioning pilots find an LSA very familiar when conducting a preflight inspection; however, some preflight differences are worth
pointing out. For example, many LSAs do not have adjustable seats but rather adjustable rudder pedals. [Figure 17-10] Often, LSA
seats are in a fixed position. LSA manufacturers have implemented various systems for rudder pedal position adjustment. Some
manufacturers use a simple removable pin while others use a knob near the rudder pedals to adjust position. Shorter pilots may find
that the adjustment range may not be sufficient, and an appropriate seat cushion may be needed to experience the proper range of
rudder pedal movement. In addition, seats in some LSAs are in a semi-reclined position. The first time a pilot sits in a semi-reclining
seat, it may seem somewhat unusual. A pilot should take time to get comfortable.
Figure 17-10. Adjustment lever for the rudder pedal position.
Transitioning pilots should become familiar with the flight and engine controls. These may vary significantly from airplane model to
airplane model. Some light-sport airplanes use a conventional control stick while others use a yoke. One manufacturer has combined
the two types of controls in what has been termed a “stoke.” While this control may seem unique, it provides a completely natural feel
for flight control. [Figure 17-11] Regardless of the flight controls, the pilot should perform a full range of motion check of the flight
controls. This means full forward to full forward left to full aft left to full aft right and then full forward right. Verify that each control
surface moves freely and smoothly. On some LSAs, aileron control geometry, in an attempt to minimize adverse yaw, moves ailerons
in a highly differential manner; a pilot may see very little “down” aileron when compared to the “up” aileron. Pilots should always
verify the direction of control surface movement.
Figure 17-11. Stoke flight control with conventional engine controls.
Elevator trim on many LSAs is electrically actuated with no mechanical trim adjustment available. [Figure 17-12] Depending on the
airplane, trim position indication may be displayed on the EFIS, an LED display, or with a mechanical indicator. On electric trim
systems, as it is with any airplane, it is important to ensure that the trim position is correctly set prior to takeoff. Because trim
positioning/indicting systems vary widely in light-sport airplanes, pilots should fully understand not only how to position the trim, but
also how to respond to a trim-run-away condition. Part of the preflight inspection should include actuating the trim switch in both
nose-up and nose-down directions, verifying that the trim disconnect (if equipped) is properly functioning, and then properly setting
the takeoff trim position.
Figure 17-12. Trim control.
Depending on the engine manufacturer, the engine controls may be completely familiar to a transitioning pilot (throttle, mixture, and
carburetor heat); however, some engines have no mixture control or carburetor heat. Instead, there could be a throttle, a choke
control, and carburetor preheater.
Regardless, a pilot should become familiar with the specific engine installed and its operation. A transitioning pilot also needs to
become comfortable with the difference between conventional engine control knobs and those found in LSAs. In standard
airworthiness airplanes, control knobs are reasonably standardized; however, LSAs may use controls that are much larger or smaller
in size.
If the LSA is equipped with an EFIS, the manufacturer’s EFIS Pilot Guide should be available for reference. In addition, the airplane
POH likely has specific EFIS preflight procedures that should be completed. These checks are to verify that all internal tests are
passed, that no red “Xs” are displayed, and that appropriate annunciators are illuminated. Some systems have a “reversionary” mode
where the information from one display can be sent to another display. For example, should the Primary Flight Display (PFD) fail,
information can be routed to the Multi-Function Display (MFD). Not all LSA EFIS systems are equipped with a MFD or reversionary
capability, so it is important for a transitioning pilot to understand the system and its limitations.
Fuel level in any airplane should be checked both visually and via the fuel level instrument or sight gauges. In LSAs, fuel level
quantities can be shown using a variety of systems. Some models may have conventional float activated indictors while others may
have the fuel level display on the EFIS with low-fuel alarm capability. It is not uncommon for a light-sport airplane to have advanced
EFIS technology for attitude and navigation information, but have a simple sight gauge for fuel level indication. Fuel tank selection
can also vary from simple on/off valves to a left/right selector. Fuel starvation remains a leading factor in aircraft accidents, which
should be a reminder that when transitioning into a new airplane, time spent understanding the fuel system is time well spent.
A ballistic parachute is a popular safety feature on certain LSAs. [Figure 17-13] These devices have been shown to be well worth
their cost in the unlikely event of a catastrophic failure or some other unsurvivable emergency. This system rockets a parachute into a
deployed state such that the parachute slowly lowers the aircraft. The preflight inspections of these systems require a check of the
mounts, safety pin and flag, and the activation handle and cable. Because most standard airworthiness type certificated airplanes do
not have these systems installed, LSA training should cover the operation and limitations of the system.
Figure 17-13. A ballistic recovery parachute is a popular safety feature available on some LSA.
Outside the Airplane
Transitioning pilots should feel comfortable and in a familiar setting when preflighting the outside of an LSA. Some unique areas
worthy of notation are presented below.
Propellers of LSAs may range from a conventional metal propeller to composite or wood. If a transitioning pilot is principally
familiar with metal propellers, time should be spent with the LSA flight instructor covering the type of propeller installed. Many LSA
propellers are composite and have a ground adjustable pitch adjustment. There may be more areas to check with these types of
propellers. For example, on ground adjustable propellers, ensure that the blades are tight against the hub by snugly twisting the blade
at the root to verify that there is no rotation of the blade at the hub.
Many LSAs are equipped with water-cooled engines. LSAs may be tightly cowled, which reduces drag. A liquid-cooled engine
minimizes the need for cylinder cooling inlets, which further reduces drag and improves performance. This does present a new system
for a transitioning pilot to check. Preflighting this system requires that the radiator, coolant hoses, and expansion tank are checked for
condition, freedom from leaks, and coolant level requirements.
Split flaps may be used on some LSA designs. [Figure 17-14] These flaps hinge down from underneath the wing and inspecting these
flaps requires the pilot to crouch and twist low for inspection. A suitable handheld mirror can facilitate inspection without undue
twisting and bending. In an attempt to keep complexity to a minimum, flap control is typically a handle that actuates the flaps. A pilot
should verify that the flaps extend and retract smoothly.
Figure 17-14. Split flap.
Before Start and Starting Engine
Once a pilot has completed the preflight inspection of the LSA, the pilot should properly seat themselves in the airplane ensuring that
the rudder pedals can be exercised with full-range movement without over-reaching. Seat belts should be checked for proper position
and security. The pilot should continue to use the POH checklists. Starting newer generation LSA engines can be quite simple and
only require the pull of the choke and a twist of the ignition switch. If the LSA is equipped with a standard certificated engine,
starting procedures are normal and routine. The canopy or doors of an LSA may have quite different latching mechanisms than
standard airworthiness airplanes. Practice latching and unlatching the doors or canopy to ensure that understanding is complete.
Having a gull-wing door or sliding canopy “pop” open in flight can become an emergency in seconds.
Taxi
LSAs may have a full-castoring or steerable nose-wheel, or a tailwheel if equipped with conventional gear. In order to taxi a full -
castoring n ose-wheel equipped airplane, the use of differential brakes is required. This type of nose-wheel can require practice to
keep the airplane on the centerline while minimizing brake application or damage to the tires. If the taxi speed is too slow, application
of a brake can cause the aircraft to pivot to a stop, rather than adjust in direction. This results in excessive brake and tire wear. If the
speed is too fast, excessive brake wear is likely.
Transitioning into an LSA with conventional gear (tailwheel) should occur initially during no-wind conditions. Due to its light weight
the airplane, requires the development of the proper flight control responses before operations in any substantial wind.
Takeoff and Climb
Takeoff and climb performance of LSAs can be spirited as they typically have a high horsepower-to-weight ratio and accelerate
quickly. Due to design requirements for low stall speeds, LSAs typically have low rotation and climb speeds with impressive climb
rates. Like other airplanes, the pilot should be flying the published speeds as given in the airplane’s POH. Stick (yoke or stoke) forces
tend to be light, which may lead a transitioning pilot to initially over-control. The key is to relax, have reasonable patience, and input
only appropriate flight control pressures needed to get the required response. If a transitioning pilot is inducing excessive control
inputs, they should minimize flight control pressures, set attitudes based on outside references, and allow the airplane to settle.
During climbs, visibility over the nose may be difficult in some LSAs. As always, it is important to properly clear the airspace for
traffic and other hazards. Occasionally lowering the airplane’s nose to get a good look out toward the horizon is important for
managing flight safety. Shallow banked turns in both directions of 10° to 20° also allow for clearing. Because flight control pressures
tend to be light, it is easy to get in the habit of flying with a light-sport airplane out of trim. This is to be avoided. Trim off any flight
control pressures. This allows the pilot to focus as much time as possible looking outside.
Cruise
After leveling off at cruise altitude, the airplane should be allowed to accelerate to cruise speed, reduce power to cruise rpm, adjust
pitch, and then trim off any flight control pressures. [Figure 17-15] The first time a transitioning pilot sees cruise rpm setting of
4,800 rpm (or as recommended), they may have a sense that the engine is turning too fast; however, remember that the engine has
gear-reduction drive and the propeller is turning much slower. If the LSA is equipped with a standard aircraft engine, rpm should be
in a range comparable to airplanes the transitioning pilot is used to. The pilot should refer to the Cruise Checklist to ensure that the
airplane is properly configured.
Figure 17-15. EFIS indication of level cruise flight.
In slower cruise flight, stick forces are likely to be light; therefore, correction to pitch and roll attitudes should be made with light
pressures. Excess pressure used to correct a deviation may cause a series of pilot-induced oscillations. The pilot should use fingertip
pressures only and not use a wrapped palm of the hand. Stick forces can change dramatically as airspeed changes. For example, what
could be considered light control pressures at 80 knots may become quite stiff at 100 knots. A flight instructor-S or flight instructor-A
experienced in the light-sport airplane is able to demonstrate this effect, which is dependent on the specific model of LSA.
LSA maneuvers such as steep turns, slow flight, and stalls are typical. These maneuvers should be practiced as part of a good
transition training program. Steep turns in LSA airplanes tend to be quite easy to perform with precision. Light flight control
pressures, stick mounted trim (if installed), and highly differential ailerons (if part of the airplane’s design), make the maneuvers seem
simpler than in heavier airplanes. Basic aerodynamics applies to any airplane. Factors, such as over-banking tendency, are still
prevalent and should be expected.
Slow flight in LSAs is accomplished at slower airspeeds than standard airworthiness airplanes since stall speeds tend to be well below
the 45-knot limit. Practicing slow flight demonstrates the unique capability of LSAs. Recovery from power-off stalls involves
lowering the nose. Application of power puts the airplane back flying. However, a pilot should understand that control pressures tend
to be light, and an aggressive forward movement of the elevator is generally not required. In addition, proper application of rudder to
compensate for propeller forces is required, and retraction of any flap should be completed prior to reaching VFE, which occurs
quickly if full power and nose down pitch attitude are maintained. Power-on stalls can result in a very high nose-up attitude unless the
airplane is adequately slowed down prior to the maneuver. In addition, some manufacturers limit pitch attitudes to 30° during power-
on stalls. If aggressive pitch attitudes are coupled with uncoordinated rudder inputs, spin entry is likely to be quick and aggressive.
Depending on the LSA design, especially those airplanes which use control tubes rather than wires and pulleys, flight in turbulence
may couple motion to the stick rather distinctively. If a transitioning pilot’s flight experience is only with airplanes that have control
cables and pulleys, the first flight in turbulence may be disconcerting; however, once the pilot becomes familiar with the control
sensations induced by the turbulence, it only becomes another means for the pilot to feel the airplane.
Approach and Landing
Approach and landing in an LSA is routine and comfortable. Speeds in the pattern tend to be in the 60-knot range. Flap limit
airspeeds tend to be lower in LSAs than standard airworthiness airplanes, so managing airspeed is important. Light control forces
require smooth application of control pressures to avoid over-controlling. Pitch and power are the same in an LSA as in a standard
airworthiness airplane.
The weight limit of light-sport airplanes makes crosswind landings an important subject to focus on. The pilot should realize that
strong gusty crosswind conditions may exceed the airplane’s control capability resulting in loss of control during the landing.
Manufacturers place a maximum demonstrated crosswind speed in the POH, and until sufficient practice and experience is gained in
the airplane, a transitioning pilot should have personal minimums that do not approach the manufacturer’s demonstrated crosswind
speed. Control application does not change for crosswind technique in an LSA. However, the LSA’s weight, slow landing speeds, and
light control forces can result in a pilot making control deflections that exceed those necessary to compensate for the crosswind.
Emergencies
While an LSA is designed to be simple, a complete knowledge of its systems is needed such that a transitioning pilot is able to
respond properly to any emergency.
The airplane’s POH describes the appropriate responses to the various emergency situations that may be encountered. [Figure 17-16]
Consider a few examples: the EFIS is displaying a red “X” across the airspeed tape, electric trim runaway, or control system failure.
The pilot should be able to respond to immediate action items from memory and locate emergency procedures quickly. In the
example of trim runaway, the pilot needs to quickly assess the trim runaway condition, locate and depress the trim disconnect (if
installed), or pull the trim power circuit breaker. Then depending on control forces required to maintain pitch attitude, the pilot may
need to make a no-flap landing due to the flap pitching moments. If the EFIS “blanks” out and POH recovery procedures do not reset
the EFIS, an LSA pilot may have to be prepared to land without airspeed, altitude, or vertical speed information. An effective training
program covers these emergency procedures.
Figure 17-16. Example of a POH Emergency Procedures section.
Post-Flight
After the airplane has been shutdown, tied-down, and secured, the pilot should conduct a complete post-flight inspection. Any
squawks or discrepancies should be noted and reported to maintenance. Transitioning pilots should insist on a training debriefing
where critique and planning for the next lesson takes place. Documentation of the pilot’s progress should be noted in the student’s
records.
Key Points
LSAs with an open flight deck, easy build characteristics, low cost, and simplicity of operation and maintenance tend to be less
aerodynamic and incur more drag. When combined with their low mass and inertia, these LSAs tend to decelerate rapidly when
power is reduced. When attempting a crosswind landing in a high-drag LSA, a rapid reduction in airspeed prior to touchdown may
result in a loss of rudder and/or aileron control, which may push the aircraft off of the runway heading. To avoid loss of control,
maintain airspeed during the approach. When power is reduced, it may be necessary to lower the nose of the aircraft to a fairly low
pitch attitude in order to maintain airspeed.
If the pilot makes a power-off approach to landing, the approach angle will be high and the landing flare will need to be close to the
ground with minimum float. This is because the aircraft will lose airspeed quickly in the flare and will not float like a more efficiently
designed aircraft. Too low of an airspeed during the landing flare may lead to insufficient energy to arrest the descent and may result
in a hard landing. Maintaining power during the approach will result in a reduced angle of attack and will extend the landing flare
allowing more time to make adjustments to the aircraft during the landing. Always remember that rapid power reductions require an
equally rapid reduction in pitch attitude to maintain airspeed.
In the event of an engine failure in an LSA, quickly transition to the required nose-down flight attitude in order to maintain airspeed.
For example, if the aircraft has a power-off glide angle of 30 degrees below the horizon, position the aircraft to a nose-down 30
degree attitude as quickly as possible. The higher the pitch attitude is when the engine failure occurs, the quicker the aircraft will lose
airspeed and the more likely the aircraft is to stall. Should a stall occur, decrease the aircraft’s pitch attitude rapidly in order to
increase airspeed to allow for a recovery. Stalls that occur at low altitudes are especially dangerous because the closer to the ground
the stall occurs, the less time there is to recover. For this reason, when climbing at a low altitude, excessive pitch attitude is
discouraged.
Chapter Summary
LSAs are a category of small, lightweight aircraft that may include advanced systems, such a parachutes, EFIS, and composite
construction. While the transition is not difficult, it does require a properly designed transition training program led by a competent
flight instructor-S or flight instructor-A. Safety is of utmost importance when it comes to any flight activity. In order to properly
assess the hazards of flight and mitigate flight risk, a pilot needs to develop the appropriate knowledge, risk management, and skill, to
effectively and safely pilot an LSA.