162 Skycatcher question
 

Recently I was asked to instruct in a Skycatcher. I set up a meet and greet with the owner to look at the plane and get checked out. The first thing that I noticed was how well equipped it was for the price you pay. The G300 with synthetic vision is a pretty good deal and a sweet little avionics package. One thing I noticed though was that the plane doesn't have a magnetic compass.

This is the first light sport plane I have ever flown/instructed in. I would imagine that 91.205 also applies to light sport aircraft as well, correct? Or is there something with the Skycatcher or G300 that doesn't require it?

This maybe a stupid question but I can't find anything in the FAR's.

Thanks!

Sounds like a great question for the local FISDO. Let us know what they say!

That's funny...I picked one up from the factory and never noticed. Good catch.

The magnetometer that displays on the G300 is supposed to be sufficient.

For VFR aircraft, a magnetic direction indicator is required. It does not have to be of any particular design.

IFR aircraft (ie not LSA) require both a magnetic and gyro compass.

I know the G300 isn't 162-specific obviously...but I did enjoy playing with the settings on the way home and enabling the Mach-meter.

So.... From this one would assume that the magnometer that's within the AHARS covers this. I guess it's confusing because in the case of other training aircraft I've flown equipped with glass there is still a mag compass on the glare shield.

I'm going to call the FAA LSA hotline to figure out the specifics, and I'll let you guys know what they say. Thanks for all the input.

It's a pretty cool setup. I think you definitely get more than what you pay for. Especially with the synthetic vision.

Call them for sure.

But in a VFR airplane, there's no inherent need for a wet compass and the regs don't specify that it can't be electronic.

I checked them out at Oshkosh this summer for the first time. I told the cessna rep that it was neat how they had left all the interior out except for the seats so we could see how the plane was built. He said "no, that is the complete interior."

I thought you got very little for roughly $150,000. Personally I would rather have 5 nice 152's for the same money.

I would want to learn on steam gauges/nav. And by the way, Get off my lawn:)

Well, you either get a nice interior or some sort of decent useful load.

When I test flew it with the Cessna guy, I think we had a whopping six gallons of fuel on board and were still pushing max gross.

Cessna missed the boat with how late the 162 came out versus all of the other LSA's. Couple that with the wrong engine choice and they really crippled their airplane.

C162 are not approved for Private pilot, which is disappointing. I trained a couple students in the C162 and they are no longer allowed to do checkrides in a C162 without a compass. This came straight from the FAA and the PTS AFS 340 and 341 I believe that was the publication.

So your saying with all the money and brains out there no one has an STC compass for the 162?? If not thats just plain stupid to make an aircraft useless because of something so simple to add!!

Can't STC it. Its an S-LSA, not a Part 23 aircraft. Have to get manufacture approval for the modification.

That never crossed my mind! Very true!

In a way, its better. Have an S-LSA, need to replace a part, can't find it. Call the manufacture, tell them what you can get, and they can (and do, in some cases) approve it right there.

At the same time, in this case, Cessna says, no, you'll need to buy a 172 to do private training, making the system bad.