Sonex + Rotax = Sontax?

[fastj22]

The 10000 ft limitation to sport pilot is also amended to allow flights higher than that to maintain 2000ft AGL from the highest point. So a sport pilot can navigate to Leadville CO @ 9930 FT and be perfectly legal to fly up to 12000 ft to get there. In fact, my friend who is a sport pilot CFI tells me there is no horizontal specification to the highest point to determine that 2000 ft AGL. Leadville is surrounded by 14000 ft peaks so flying direct to there, you could legally fly up to 16000FT even if you don't fly over the tops of the peaks. Of course complying with the supplemental oxygen requirement. I'm not sure I would like to go before the man to explain my flight path doing that though.

Also don't confuse LSA compliant aircraft with Sport Pilot certification. A current private pilot can do everything in an LSA he can do in a standard aircraft given the LSA is properly equipped. Just because he is flying an LSA does not require him to comply with sport pilot limitations. My hangar mate is an ATP and could file and fly his Sonex IFR if he properly equipped it to do so. And it would still be LSA compliant.

[Sonerai13]

A current private pilot can do everything in an LSA he can do in a standard aircraft given the LSA is properly equipped.

That is true, with one caveat. If the aircraft is actually certificated in the LSA category (usually referred to as "special LSA"), you are bound by the aircraft's operating handbook regardless of what pilot certificate you hold. Thus, if the LSA's operating handbook prohibits flight at night, a private pilot (or higher) would not be legal to fly that aircraft at night regardless of how it is equipped. This only applies to those factory-built LSA, such as CT, Tecnam, Remos, etc, that are certificated in LSA category, but it's important to remember if you are operating one of those aircraft. The flight manual is the law in those aircraft, regardless of what pilot is operating it.