Use of Aeronautical Experience Obtained in Ultralight Vehicles

Regulation Text

(a) Before January 31, 2012, a person may use aeronautical experience obtained in an ultralight vehicle to meet the requirements for the following certificates and ratings issued under this part:

(1) A sport pilot certificate.

(2) A flight instructor certificate with a sport pilot rating;

(3) A private pilot certificate with a weight-shift-control or powered parachute category rating.

(b) Before January 31, 2012, a person may use aeronautical experience obtained in an ultralight vehicle to meet the provisions of § 61.69.

(c) A person using aeronautical experience obtained in an ultralight vehicle to meet the requirements for a certificate or rating specified in paragraph (a) of this section or the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section must—

(1) Have been a registered ultralight pilot with an FAA-recognized ultralight organization when that aeronautical experience was obtained;

(2) Document and log that aeronautical experience in accordance with the provisions for logging aeronautical experience specified by an FAA-recognized ultralight organization and in accordance with the provisions for logging pilot time in aircraft as specified in § 61.51;

(3) Obtain the aeronautical experience in a category and class of vehicle corresponding to the rating or privilege sought; and

(4) Provide the FAA with a certified copy of his or her ultralight pilot records from an FAA-recognized ultralight organization.

Docket FAA-2001-11133, 69 FR 44865, July 27, 2004, as amended by Amdt. 61-125, 75 FR 5220, Feb. 1, 2010

Research Notes

Section 61.52 is a transitional provision that addressed the regulatory gap when the FAA created the sport pilot certificate in 2004. Before the sport pilot rule existed, many pilots operated ultralight vehicles under Part 103 — which requires no certificate, no medical, and no registration of the aircraft in most cases. When the sport pilot category was established, the FAA provided a pathway for pilots with substantial ultralight experience to credit that experience toward certificates.

Date cutoff — January 31, 2012: The transitional window closed on January 31, 2012. Any ultralight flight time accumulated after that date cannot be credited toward certificates under this provision. This section is essentially a historical record — it no longer creates new pathways. Pilots who did not apply before the deadline must meet the standard requirements for their desired certificate.

FAA-recognized ultralight organizations: The EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and USPPA (United States Powered Parachute Association) are examples of FAA-recognized ultralight organizations that maintained pilot records relevant to this provision. The organization's records were the mechanism for documenting time since ultralights themselves are often not registered aircraft.

Part 103 context: Ultralight vehicles under Part 103 are defined as single-seat aircraft with specific weight and speed limitations. No pilot certificate is required to fly them. The regulatory gap this section addressed was that significant operational experience in ultralights was going uncredited when pilots sought FAA certificates.

CFI Commentary

Highlighted phrases in the regulation text above link to instructor notes at the bottom of this page. Look for the amber or blue highlights — each one flags a gotcha or a pro tip worth knowing.

Amendment History

2004-07-27

Section created as part of the sport pilot rule establishing the transitional pathway for ultralight pilots.

2010-02-01

Technical correction to the ultralight experience provisions.

AOA Notes

These notes correspond to the highlighted phrases in the regulation text above. Each one flags something worth knowing — a common misread, a checkride gotcha, or a practical pro tip.

Gotcha: This provision is closed — but here is why it matters historically

Section 61.52 is a transitional rule that effectively expired in 2012. If you are reading this as a current student pilot or pilot candidate, it does not open any new pathways for you — all the time windows have passed. What it tells you is something important about how the FAA handles regulatory transitions: when a new certificate category is created (in this case, sport pilot), the agency builds bridge provisions so that people who have been operating legally under different rules are not locked out of the new system. It is a regulatory fairness mechanism. If you have ultralight time from before 2012 and never applied under this provision, you missed the window — consult a CFII or FSDO about your specific situation.

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