Copyright (c) 2008 Dan Pimentel
A good friend returned from EAA's 2007 Airventure Oshkosh Airshow
holding delivery position #426 on a new Cessna Model 162 Skycatcher.
I'd been trying to track down a C162 buyer for a while, so this is
great timing as I want to find out what is drawing current, licensed
private pilots to the Skycatcher. What I found did not really surprise
me.
At 78.5 years young, Fresno pilot John Pugliese has amassed 7,000 hours
in a pilot career that has included ownership of a Fairchild PT-23, a
Cessna 120 and his current bird, a 1952 Cessna 170. After a heart
attack in the early '90s, Pugliese must now undergo additional scrutiny
each time he is re-issued a third-class medical card. And while he has
good health today to flies with an FAA medical card, he knows that may
not be the case forever. "I'm hoping that Cessna can deliver my
Skycatcher before the day comes when the medical card cannot be
re-issued."
I'm certain Pugliese is not the only "senior" private pilot who is
looking at Light Sport aircraft as a sort of "workaround" to current
FAA medical rules. And as a refresher, let me pass along what the FAA
says about the subject of Sport Pilot medicals.
Sport Pilot licensing rules require either a third-class FAA medical
certificate or a current and valid U.S. driver's license as evidence of
medical eligibility (provided the individual's most recent application
for an FAA medical certificate was not denied, revoked, suspended or
withdrawn). So as long as a pilot can move into an LSA before he/she is
denied, all is well and good. However, once FAA takes that card away,
those denied pilots cannot use a driver's license in lieu of the
medical card.
As an experienced aviator, Pugliese picked the Skycatcher for a number
of reasons. "The main thing was the hydraulic brakes" he said. "I'm an
old taildragger driver from way back, and sometimes you have to almost
lock up one wheel to keep things straight. And nothing against Rotax,
but I like that Cessna is putting Continentals in the Skycatcher, since
it will be easy to find service coast-to-coast on that engine. I also
like that I will be able to get parts through an established Cessna
dealer network. And at just over five feet tall, I'm happy the
Skycatcher's rudder pedals are adjustable. The plane fits me fine, and
is really a great looking airplane!"
As a successful businessman, Pugliese knows that the $109,000 base
price will climb before delivery day. A clause in the Cessna contract
allows for cost of living increases and with California sales tax that
he says is a staggering nine percent, John expects the Skycatcher to
come in at around $140,000 without wheel pants or a ballistic chute. He
expects that by the time Cessna delivers the 162, the Garmin G300 panel
will change for the better, as avionics always do.
Bottom line: John Pugliese is one of those older pilots we all
love...nice as can be, true to his fellow pilots, and always willing to
take a young kid flying to spark their internal fires. When he gets the
Skycatcher, it'll make a perfect platform to serve his mission profile,
which is to poke holes in the sky while converting fossilized dinosaurs
into altitude to chase down the elusive airport hamburger.
Article Source: http://
www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/senior-pilots-drawn-to-light-
sport-aircraft-424720.html About the Author
Author and private pilot Dan Pimentel owns a creative studio
in Oregon and frequently writes about aviation, business and lifestyle
topics on his blog,
Av8rdan's World of Flying. |
