George Herbert
New Member
Hey guys, I am almost done getting my Private Pilot license and want to build something that I can use log hours in for higher ratings when I am done with this. I live right next door to a big farm which would be an ideal place to take off and land except for one thing. I live in New Jersey and they have very strict regulations about aviation that make it illegal to take off or land an airplane off of a registered runway. My initial thought was to use an ultralight to get around this rule, but I just found out that as of 2012 hours logged in ultralights (without an air worthiness certificate) don't count for anything except for the five or so hours of solo time for a light sport license.
So my question is if I were to build a FAR 103 ultralight and get it registered as an E-AB, I know I would be able to log hours in it then, but if I kept everything else in line with FAR 103 would it still be considered an ultralight enough that I wouldn't need a runway to take off and lane? Or would registering it make it the same as any other airplane in the eyes of New Jersey and therefore subject to the runway laws? If that doesn't work is there anything at all that I could log hours in that doesn't require a runway in New Jersey? I really don't want to have to transport my plane to an airport every time I fly it, and it isn't really possible to get any part of that farm next door registered as a runway. I will be joining EAA Chapter 216 for their next meeting on the 13th, but in the mean time any advice or experience will be greatly appreciated.
So my question is if I were to build a FAR 103 ultralight and get it registered as an E-AB, I know I would be able to log hours in it then, but if I kept everything else in line with FAR 103 would it still be considered an ultralight enough that I wouldn't need a runway to take off and lane? Or would registering it make it the same as any other airplane in the eyes of New Jersey and therefore subject to the runway laws? If that doesn't work is there anything at all that I could log hours in that doesn't require a runway in New Jersey? I really don't want to have to transport my plane to an airport every time I fly it, and it isn't really possible to get any part of that farm next door registered as a runway. I will be joining EAA Chapter 216 for their next meeting on the 13th, but in the mean time any advice or experience will be greatly appreciated.
