Pilot Legal Guide: A Pilot-Friendly Manual and Digital Copy

Now available in Sporty’s Pilot Training app

This manual from PilotWorkshops offers something you won’t find anywhere else: Plain English guidance on the legal issues that concern GA pilots most.

Features:

• 115 pages—fully illustrated with color photos and graphics
• Simple question/answer format
• Clear explanations, real-world examples, and legal tips
• Digital manual looks great on an iPad; keep it in your EFB app for easy access
• Links to useful reference material

Live the flying life you want … while staying out of trouble

The rules that affect you as a GA pilot are often confusing. There are regulations, FAA interpretations that clarify those regulations, and opinions written by the courts that explain their decisions in cases involving those regulations. You may be in violation without even knowing it (and unaware of the consequences). Or, you may be cutting yourself short, assuming you can’t do things you actually can.

When you have a question, it’s not always easy to find the answer. Some issues are so complex, convoluted, or controversial that there can be contrary interpretations—or a lack of any guidance at all. Asking other pilots, your CFI, or the internet is a reasonable way to start. But the answers you’ll get aren’t always correct. And just finding out which regulations apply to a given situation doesn’t give you the full picture.

Our goal was to help pilots understand how the rules actually work. We asked a noted aviation lawyer to make a list of the most frequent questions he’s asked by GA pilots. We had him sift through the relevant statutes, regulations, orders, interpretations, forms, opinions, and agreements—so you wouldn’t have to. Then, we asked him to explain in plain English what it all means, in a style that’s easy to read and easy to understand.

This manual is not just a rehash of what you’ll find in the FARs. You’ll learn to think about legal issues more effectively, and you’ll be better prepared to deal with the legal aspects of any situation you might find yourself in. Whether you’re a new private pilot wondering about logging time, an experienced CFI thinking about getting your own insurance, or a renter looking to buy your first airplane, this book will help you make better decisions.

A fun, engaging way to cut through the complexity

The manual makes it easy to find answers to the questions that matter to you most. Related questions are grouped into chapters by topic so you can dive into the subjects that interest you right now, and skip the ones that don’t. When you have questions in the future, you’ll be glad you have this manual in your library.

Complex legal concepts are broken down into digestible, easy-to-understand pieces. You’ll find a summary of each topic, key points to remember, and the most common questions GA pilots ask about that topic. The answers are written in a fun, conversational style, and focus on the useful things that GA pilots need to know. Tips and sidebars provide greater context, explain terms and concepts, and expand your knowledge even further. Footnotes refer you to additional resources if you want to dig deeper.

Examples make it easy (and interesting) to learn how to navigate even the most complicated legal situations. You’ll discover why the rules exist, how they apply to specific scenarios, and the best steps to take to get what you want (and avoid what you don’t). By walking through the examples you’ll learn to see both sides of the issues. You’ll learn how the FAA thinks, and how pilots end up on the right side—or the wrong side—of the law.

Topics include:

• Cost sharing for Private pilots
• Commercial pilots flying under Part 91
• Logging time
• Declaring an emergency
• Accidents, incidents, and mistakes
• Insurance
• Maintenance and equipment issues
• Ramp inspections and repercussions
• Aircraft rental agreements
• Aircraft purchase transactions
• Using organizations to own aircraft
• Taxes and the GA pilot
• Liens on aircraft
• Flight instructor liability
• Charity flights
   

View a sample page here:

About the author

Stephen L. Tupper - Aviation Attorney, CFII

As an attorney, and as the publisher and presenter of the Airspeed podcast from 2006 to 2010 (and sporadically since then), Steve’s received a steady stream of the legal questions that concern GA pilots the most. He’s been a lawyer since 1999 and is the principal shareholder of Tupper Law Firm PC, specializing in aviation, information technology, privacy, and corporate transactions. His aviation practice largely involves the purchase, sale, lease, and operation of aircraft from single-engine piston aircraft to transport category jets. He is a chair emeritus of the Aviation Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

He holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Albion College, an MBA in Finance from Western Michigan University, and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School, and has been a Senior Executive Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Steve holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate and is rated for single- and multi-engine land airplanes and gliders, with private privileges in single-engine seaplanes. He also holds a type rating (SIC) in the DC-3/C-47. He is a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) in single-engine airplanes and in gliders, with an instrument airplane rating (CFII), as well as being recognized by NAFI as a Master CFI. He holds Advanced Ground Instructor and Instrument Ground Instructor certificates.

Easy to access

This manual is available on Sporty’s Pilot Training platform, so you can read the digital version online or on your tablet—alongside all your Sporty’s courses. Powerful reading tools are included, like highlighting, search, and bookmarks. Or download the PDF for easy reading on all your devices, with or without an internet connection.