COPA members are asking, “Is Canada going to adopt the U.S. Light Sport Aircraft
(LSA) or the Sport Pilot Licence?”
The issue is more complex than it seems at first glance – if Canada were to
adopt the U.S. standards would it replace an existing category of aircraft or
licence in Canada and if so, which one or ones?
What would happen to people who owned the aircraft or had a licence in the
terminated categories?
If we don’t adopt the LSA in Canada, will Canadian aircraft manufacturers be at
a disadvantage trying to produce different aircraft for domestic and U.S. sales?
To start the process of considering these and other questions COPA attended a
meeting called by Transport Canada, along with representatives of other aviation
associations on Sept. 29, in Ottawa.
The meeting allowed the representatives to catalogue the benefits, risks and
options of the issue. By the end of the one-day meeting no decisions were made,
but the participants have committed to meet again to continue the process of
looking at LSA and its implications for
Canada.
One of the main concerns addressed is, if Canada does adopt a new aircraft
category with or without eliminating any existing categories of aircraft, then
no existing aircraft owners or licence holders should lose out as a consequence.
In the U.S., LSA is still in its early stages. The rules that define the
aircraft and many issues around the licence and the medical requirements are
incomplete and must be addressed before they can be used in practice.
It is still too early to know whether the LSA category will be a success in the
U.S. There is no doubt that much more will be heard about this new category and
many issues will arise as a result.
COPA will be attending future meetings on the subject to ensure members existing
privileges are protected and the decisions adopted are those which are best for
aviation in Canada. Contact Adam Hunt.