14 CFR · Part 61
14 CFR § 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:
Preflight preparation.
Preflight procedures.
Airport, heliport, seaplane base, and gliderport operations, as applicable.
Hovering maneuvers (applicable only to helicopters).
Takeoffs (or launches), landings, and go-arounds.
Performance maneuvers and, for gliders, performance speeds.
Ground reference maneuvers (not applicable to gliders, helicopters, and balloons).
Soaring techniques (applicable only to gliders).
Navigation.
Slow flight (not applicable to lighter-than-air aircraft, helicopters, and powered parachutes).
Stalls (not applicable to lighter-than-air aircraft, gyroplanes, helicopters, and powered parachutes).
Emergency operations.
Post-flight procedures.
Reflects the eCFR edition current as of July 6, 2026. Retrieved from ecfr.gov on July 17, 2026.