Definition
A flight instructor certificate issued by the FAA with a sport pilot rating, authorizing the holder to provide flight training only to student pilots, sport pilots, and flight instructor applicants seeking the sport pilot rating, in light-sport aircraft for which the instructor is rated.
Plain English
A flight instructor whose teaching authority is limited to sport pilot training in light-sport aircraft. They cannot train students working toward a private, commercial, or other higher-level certificate.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Airplane Flying Handbook chapter that explains the role, duties, and responsibilities of flight instructors.
Derivation
The 'S' stands for 'Sport,' indicating the instructor is certificated under the sport pilot rules introduced by the FAA in 2004 to create a simpler, lower-cost path into aviation.
Why Pilots Care
Only a properly certificated flight instructor can endorse a student for solo flight, recommend a student for a checkride, or provide the required training for any FAA pilot certificate.
Intuition Check
Do not assume a flight instructor is simply any experienced pilot who teaches informally. In FAA use, a flight instructor is a pilot with the proper instructor certificate and qualifications to give recognized flight training.
Example Sentence 1
She earned her flight instructor-S certificate so she could begin teaching sport pilot students at the local light-sport flight school.
Example Sentence 2
Before the first solo, the flight instructor-S reviewed the student's logbook and signed the endorsement.