Certificate experimental aircraft
get a special C of A, the limitation and use
Subject: aircraft paperwork
(First we focus on the requirements for the USA. Canada will be next
and for other countries we encourage everybody to go already ahead and maybe write
something. We will publish it here and if it is a French, German or Spanish text we offer
to translate it.)
We all love to fly. And maybe we
want to fly something a little different than the standard C172 or standard PA28.
(nothing wrong with them !)
Why this is a problem?
The very simple answer; if it is not standard it is special.
Aircraft have to be registered or you can call it immatriculated what
gets them a nationality, a call-sign and a owner. This is the first step but like this
they are not flyable.
(a while ago we were joking what Oklahoma (the
FAA-registry) would say when trying to register a Saab 900.
MANUFACTURER: Saab
MODEL: 900
but maybe they find out what it is when mentioning
convertible)
To make it now a real aircraft we need a certificate of airworthiness
that is issued by the FAA- FSDO or MIDO. To make it less confusing a standard aircraft
gets a standard CofA and a special aircraft gets a special one. If you don’t like the
engine of your standard Cessna change it and this makes it "special". Or build
your own plane and this is special.
A FAA – inspector or a DAR (designated airworthiness
representative, he's doing the same work but charges some money) has to see the aircraft
and the accompanied documents and hopefully will give out a special CofA.
In this CofA the Aviation Administrator regulates the uses of special
planes. We assume that the only reason and measurement is the safety aspect. These
aircraft do not have a type certificate or not the correct one what equals, the safety is
not confirmed.
(there are a lot of pilots, not understanding the
difference between demonstrated safety by a track record or a confirmed safety of
complying with the type certification requirements)
To make everybody aware of the special nature the word EXPERIMENTAL has
to be displayed on the aircraft.
To call an aircraft "EXPERIMENTAL" and to issue a special CofA
a reason is needed. Just to want to fly it isn’t enough and here the FAA will point
to all the standard aircraft that comply with the type certification requirements, at
least at one day in the past.
There are several categories and lots of reasons to request a special
CofA but we concentrate here on exhibition/air-show.
continue
The exact procedures are given in order 8130.27 (see
below) but final decisions are made by the FAA inspector. The guideline for
national standardization is given and all aircraft are squeezed into one of four groups.
Take this as a basic structure were the fine print reads it a little
different and gives some room for own interpretations. These interpretations can see a
certain aircraft in another group, but like sad before the FAA-inspector has to share that
view.
So what, group I or II or…
why it is so important?
The FAA created a whole catalog of limitations and depending of the
group some limitations apply others not. Basic requirements are the same for all and is
related to the status of experimental aircraft.
Now the operation requirements are divided in two parts called phase1
and phase 2. What is a test-flight period and a normal operation period. And even here the
given standards are not absolute. Some aircraft never saw a phase 1 because they are
fairly normal aircraft or they came into the country by air. Even the FAA accepts the
demonstrated safety of operation when a aircraft just came across the pond.
Before listing now all these limitation- requirements it’s
important to say that the reality and the written order differs sometimes a little. The
reason, most pilots and people involved have more than average experience in total flight
hours and in years in aviation what gives them knowledge and superiority how to handle and
sometimes circumnavigate the FAA orders. But one example: first we read the text that is
part of the introduction of order 8130.27 and than you look in trade-a-plane to see the
reality.
7. Brokering. Section 21.191(d) was not
intended to allow for the brokering or marketing of experimental aircraft. This includes
individuals who manufacture, import, or assemble aircraft., and then apply for and receive
experimental exhibition airworthiness certificates, so they can sell the aircraft to
buyers.
Take now one issue of T-a-P (use the paper version in cyberspace you
will get gray hair) and look up all the dealers in the warbird or experimental section.
How you want to stop somebody to do business, specially in a country like the United
States.
(talking with owners is the best source and here we are
not going to stress this part unnecessarily)
But the same is true for FAA inspectors that not always follow the text
word by word as given. Taking time picking one can make the difference.
If he likes aircraft (what is not automatically confirmed when working
for the FAA) or even better if he is flying it definitely helps.
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Here now the FAA order 8130.27 (CERTIFICATION
AND OPERATION OF AIRCRAFT UNDER THE EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSE(S) OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT,
EXHIBITION, AND/OR AIR RACING)
Appendix 1 (EXPERIMENTAL
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND OPERATING LIMITATIONS);
Appendix 2 (INSPECTION PROGRAMS FOR
EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT THAT ARE TURBINE-POWERED OR OVER 12,500lbs.);
Appendix 3 ( PILOT QUALIFICATION
AND OPERATION OF TURBINE POWERED AIRCRAFT, LARGE AIRCRAFT, OR PISTON-POWERED AIRCRAFT
GREATER THAN 800 HP AND Vne EXCEEDING 250 KNOTS)
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