Experimental Maintenance

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Experimental Maintenance
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• What is an Experimental Aircraft and why is a
  special airworthiness certificate issued in the
  experimental category
• The History of the Experimental Aircraft
• Who is allowed to maintain Experimental Aircraft
• Who should maintain experimental aircraft
• What Rules and regulations apply
• Operating Limitations and changes in Aircraft
  configuration
• Do A.D.s apply to my Aircraft and the components
  installed, and who can sign them off
• Why should you maintain a Log Book

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• An aircraft that does not have a Type
  Certificate, or does not conform to its type
  certificate and is in a condition for safe
  operation.
• Additionally, a primary category kit-built
  aircraft that was assembled without the
  supervision and quality control of the production
  certificate holder.

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• Research and development
• Showing compliance with regulations
• Crew training
• Exhibition
• Air racing
• Market surveys
• Operating amateur-built, kit-built, or
  light-sport aircraft
• Special Airworthiness Certificate, Experimental
  Category for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and
  Optionally Piloted Aircraft (OPA)

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• In 1910 Alberto Santos-Dumont was the first to
  offer for free construction plans.
• In 1936, an association of amateur aviation
  enthusiasts was created in France.
• In 1938 legislation was amended to provide for a
  Certificat de navigabilité restreint d'aéronef
  (CNRA, "restricted operating certificate for
  aircraft").
• 1946 saw the birth of the Ultralight Aircraft
  Association
• In 1953 the Experimental Aircraft Association in
  the United States and the Sport Aircraft
  Association in Australia.
• Until the late 1950s, builders had mainly kept to
  wood-and-cloth and steel tube-and-cloth design.
• Burt Rutan introduced the canard design to the
  homebuilding world and pioneered the use of
  composite construction.
• Metal construction in kit planes was taken to a
  new level by Richard Van Grunsven in his RV
  series
• In recent years, the less restrictive regulations
  for homebuilts allowed a number of manufacturers
  to develop new and innovative designs many can
  outperform certified production aircraft in their
  class.

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• Anybody!
• Unless per 14 CFR 43 43.1
• (b) This part does not apply to any Aircraft for
  which the FAA has issued an experimental
  certificate, unless the FAA has issued a
  different kind of airworthiness certificate for
  that aircraft.
• (d) This part applies to any aircraft issued a
  special airworthiness certificate in the
  light-sport category except
• (1) The repair or alteration form specified in
  43.5 (b) and 43.9 (d) is not required to be
  completed for products not produced under an FAA
  approval
• (2) Major repairs and major alterations for
  products not produced under an FAA approval are
  not required to be recorded in accordance with
  appendix B of this part and
• (3) The listing of major alterations and major
  repairs specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of
  appendix A of this part is not applicable to
  products not produced under an FAA approval.
• If your operating instructions state to maintain
  the Aircraft under 14 CFR Part 43.

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• It is legal but..
• Do you have the knowledge?
• Do you have the tools?
• Do you have the necessary manuals?
• Do you have the time?
• Do you have safety in mind?
• Its more than you at risk!

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• Part 21, Certification Procedures for Products
  and Parts
• Part 21, subpart H, Airworthiness Certificates
• Part 45, Identification and Registration Marking
• Section 91.313, Restricted category civil
  aircraft Operating limitations.
• Part 91, subpart D, Special Flight Operations.
• Section 91.715, Special flight authorizations for
  foreign civil aircraft.
• Part 375, Navigation of Foreign Civil Aircraft
  Within the United States
• This may not be a complete list of all applicable
  FARs.

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• 20-27G, Certification and Operation of
  Amateur-Built Aircraft
• 21-4, Special Flight Permits for Operation of
• Overweight Aircraft
• 21-12, Application for U.S. Airworthiness
  Certificate, FAA Form 8130-6 (Instructions for
  completing 8130-6)
• 43.13-1B, Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and
  Practices - Aircraft Inspection and Repair
• 45-2, Identification and Registration Marking
• 90-89, Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight
  Flight Testing Handbook

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• F.A.A. Order 8130.2G, Section 9 paragraph 4104,
  Issuance of Experimental Amateur-Built Operating
  Limitations.
• a. Operating limitations must be designed to fit
  the specific situation encountered. The ASI may
  impose any additional limitations deemed
  necessary in the interest of safety. The ASI
  and/or designee must review each imposed
  operating limitation with the applicant to ensure
  that the operating limitations are understood by
  the applicant.

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• b. The following operating limitations shall be
  prescribed to experimental amateur-built
• aircraft
• (9) Aircraft instruments and equipment installed
  and used under 14 CFR 91.205 must
• be inspected and maintained in accordance with
  the requirements of 14 CFR part 91. Any
• maintenance or inspection of this equipment must
  be recorded in the aircraft logbook and
• maintenance records.

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• (19)After incorporating a major change as
  described in 14 CFR 21.93, the aircraft owner
  is required to reestablish compliance with 14 CFR
  91.319(b) and notify the geographically
  responsible FSDO of the location of the proposed
  test area. The aircraft owner must obtain
  concurrence from the FSDO as to the suitability
  of the proposed test area. If the major change
  includes installing a different type of engine
  (reciprocating to turbine) or a change of a
  fixed-pitch from or to a controllable propeller,
  the aircraft owner must fill out a revised FAA
  Form 8130-6 to update the aircrafts file in the
  FAA Aircraft Registration Branch. All operations
  must be conducted under day VFR conditions in a
  sparsely populated area. The aircraft must remain
  in flight test for a minimum of 5 hours. The FSDO
  may require additional time (more than 5 hours)
  depending on the extent of the modification.
  Persons nonessential to the flight must not be
  carried. The aircraft owner must make a detailed
  aircraft logbook and maintenance records entry
  describing the change before the test flight.
  Following satisfactory completion of the required
  number of flight hours in the flight test area,
  the pilot must certify in the records that the
  aircraft has been shown to comply with 14 CFR
  91.319(b). Compliance with 14 CFR 91.319(b)
  must be recorded in the aircraft records.

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• (a) Changes in type design are classified as
  minor and major. A "minor change" is one that has
  no appreciable effect on the
• Weight
• Balance
• structural strength
• Reliability
• Operational characteristics, or other
  characteristics affecting the airworthiness of
  the product

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• The following is from A.C. 39-7C Section (8)
  APPLICABILITY OF AD's
• Unless specifically stated, AD's apply to the
  make and model set forth in the applicability
  statement regardless of the classification or
  category of the airworthiness certificate issued
  for the aircraft.

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• A.C. 39-7C Section 8
• (e) Every AD applies to each product identified
  in the applicability statement, regardless of
  whether it has been modified, altered, or
  repaired in the area subject to the requirements
  of the AD. In short, either the requirements of
  the AD can be performed as specified in the AD
  and the specified results can be achieved, or
  they cannot.

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• A.C 39-7C Section 13 RESPONSIBILITY FOR AD
  COMPLIANCE AND RECORDATION
• (a) This responsibility may be met by ensuring
  that properly certificated and appropriately
  rated maintenance person(s) accomplish the
  requirements of the AD and properly record this
  action in the appropriate maintenance records.
  This action must be accomplished within the
  compliance time specified in the AD or the
  aircraft may not be operated.
• (f) Pilot Performed AD Checks. Certain AD's
  permit pilots to perform checks of some items
  under specific conditions. AD's allowing this
  action will include specific direction regarding
  recording requirements. However, if the AD does
  not include recording requirements for the pilot,
  43.9 requires persons complying with an AD to
  make an entry in the maintenance record of that
  product. 91.417 (a) and (b) requires the owner
  or operator to keep and retain AC 39-7C 11/16/95
  Par 13 6 certain minimum records for a specific
  time. The person who accomplished the action, the
  person who returned the aircraft to service, and
  the status of AD compliance are the items of
  information required to be kept in those records.

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• They add value to the Aircraft
• They help with future inspections
• You know how long a part has been installed
• You know who installed it for warranty purposes
• The F.A.A. recommends it, keep them on your side
• You only need to maintain 1 book
• After an incident, your Log Books are the first
  thing the F.A.A., and your insurance company want
  to see
• With incomplete Log Books you will fight the
  insurance company to pay your claim!