Light-sport aircraft
The civil aviation authorities in different countries have their own particular specifications and regulations which define the LSA category.
E-LSA kits are not subject to the normal experimental amateur built (E-AB) requirement 14 CFR 21.191[5] which identifies an aircraft, the "major portion of which has been fabricated and assembled by persons who undertook the construction project solely for their own education or recreation."
Airplanes (both powered and gliders), rotorcraft (gyroplanes only, not helicopters), powered parachutes, weight-shift control aeroplanes (commonly known as trikes), and lighter-than-air craft (free balloons and airships) may all be certificated as LSA if they fall within the weight and other guidelines established by the local governing authority.
By contrast, the US FAA has a separate definition of ultralight aircraft defined in Federal Aviation Regulations.
Aircraft falling within the US ultralight specifications are extremely lightweight (less than 254 pounds if powered, or 155 pounds if unpowered), are intended for operation by a single occupant, have a fuel capacity of five US gallons (about 19 litres) or less, a maximum calibrated airspeed of not more than 55 knots (102 km/h; 63 mph), and a maximum stall speed of not more than 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph).
"[7] AOPA points out that this is a normal development of a maturing standard[8] and does not expect any significant changes in the rules, only more scrutiny by FAA to assure compliance.
The FAA announced on July 24, 2023, that it was considering expanding the Light Sport Aircraft category to incorporate the development of emerging technologies, in particular electrically-powered rotorcraft.
[9] The LSA category is expected to be drastically expanded with the introduction of MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification).
On 26 December 2022, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau amended the Circular of Aircraft Safety No.1-006 and clarified its own stance on LSA.
On the other hand, the E-LSA classification has not been introduced, so kit-built and plan-built LSAs are regarded as amateur-built aircraft.
