How Do I Obtain Privileges to Operate an Aircraft with Retractable Landing Gear or an Airplane with a Manual Controllable Pitch Propeller?

Authoritative Sources

• Docket FAA-2023-1377, Amdt. 61-159, 90 FR 35215 (July 24, 2025) — The rulemaking that created § 61.331, effective October 22, 2025. This section extends to sport pilots the complex aircraft endorsement framework that already applied to private pilots and above.
• § 61.31(e) — High-performance, complex, and high-altitude aircraft endorsements for pilots of all certificate levels. Section 61.331 gives sport pilots the option to use this existing pathway rather than requiring a sport-specific training track. This is a deliberate design choice — pilots who already hold training under § 61.31(e) for retractable gear aircraft do not need to duplicate that training under § 61.331.
• § 61.316 — Defines the aircraft eligible for sport pilot operations. Retractable-gear and controllable-pitch propeller aircraft that meet the § 61.316 performance limits are now potentially eligible for sport pilot operations, provided the pilot has the § 61.331 endorsement.

Regulatory Context

Prior to Amendment 61-159, sport pilots were generally limited to fixed-gear, fixed-pitch propeller aircraft. The addition of § 61.331 expands the type of aircraft a sport pilot may operate, subject to the training and endorsement requirements. The "either/or" structure in paragraphs (a) and (b) was intentional — the FAA recognized that many sport pilots may already hold endorsements under § 61.31(e) from prior training or because they hold or held higher certificates, and requiring duplicative training would serve no safety purpose.

The seaplane carve-out in paragraph (c) reflects the practical reality that amphibious aircraft with retractable gear intended for water operations have an established operational community. The FAA provided a grandfather for pilots with pre-October 22, 2025 PIC time in such aircraft.