FAR 61.331 — Sport Pilot Endorsements
FAR 61.331 explains how sport pilots get endorsements to fly aircraft with retractable landing gear or a manual controllable pitch propeller.
FAR 61.331 covers how a sport pilot earns the privilege to operate two specific types of equipment: aircraft with retractable landing gear and airplanes with a manual controllable pitch propeller. These systems add complexity, so the FAA requires extra training before you can fly them as PIC.
For either privilege, you have two paths:
- Meet the complex/high-performance training requirements in § 61.31(e) — the same standard used by private and higher pilots, including ground/flight training and a logbook endorsement.
- Receive sport-pilot-specific training — ground and flight instruction from an authorized instructor in an aircraft with that equipment, followed by an endorsement stating you are proficient.
There is one exception: if you logged pilot-in-command time before October 22, 2025 in a water-operations aircraft equipped with retractable landing gear (think amphibious floats), the retractable-gear endorsement is not required.
Operationally, this matters because flying without the proper endorsement is a violation of your certificate privileges — even if you are otherwise qualified.