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.
Referenced By
Interpretations of This Section (1)
Documents that cite this section, found in their catalog metadata or text. Listed by date, not by significance.
Reflects the eCFR edition current as of July 6, 2026. Retrieved from ecfr.gov on July 17, 2026.
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