Original Posted By: leonstefanhutks(at)webtv.net (Leon Stefan)
ALLMany of you have forwarded your comments on the current status of homebuiltcertification to EAA and have commented as to what has EAA done about thisissue. I do not usually respond to email lists as if I did that is all Iwould do all day and would not get any work done, but the many emailsforwarded to me on this issue I felt I had to respond. In this era ofcommunication overload I guess I can understand how you have missed EAA'spress releases, Sport Aviation and Experimenter articles, web reports,Technical Councilor and Flight Advisor direct mailings, emails to all EAAchapters, the EAA homebuilt web area and the many web releases on thissubject over the history of EAA.Home built aircraft certification has always been the number one or twoissue of EAA government relations. The issue of homebuilt certification andwhat EAA staff is doing about it has been an specific agenda item of theevery EAA Board of Directors meeting for the last two years. In addition toensure EAA staff keeps its eye on the homebuilt community needs EAA createdthe EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council, which helps sets priorities and reviewswhat staff is doing for the homebuilder. EAA government relations maintainsone staff person, available through a toll free number to members, (RandyHansen) whose only job is to take member calls and help them with theirgovernment related issue although he receives many many calls and emailevery day we are only asked for help with a certification issue about once amonth. The EAA government relations core priorities for 2001 (as publishedon the web, all EAA magazines, press releases etc.) included only fourissues:Amateur Built CertificationSport PilotAgeing AircraftReplacement for upcoming loss of 100LLEAA Aviation Information Services is also available through a toll freenumber five days a week to provide basic aviation information to all EAAmembers and especially for the homebuilder and restorer. If you can't findit on the EAA web page, or you do not have web access, call EAA the tollfree number is listed on the first page of Sport Aviation.EAA and FAA have been working very closely on homebuilt issues. In the lastfour years EAA has obtained permission for US builders to operate theiraircraft over populated areas, to make major changes to your aircraft, tofly into Canada and for Canadian Homebuilder to fly to the US, EAA got theFAA to release policy telling field inspectors that they could not requireA&P's to sign-off homebuilts prior to final inspection, we helped FAA writeand had released a standardized inspection guide for inspectors to followwhen inspecting a homebuilt and subsequently added separate check lists forrotorcraft and we are working on checklists for Trikes and PoweredParachutes. EAA helped rewrite the entire FAA policy material for theissuance of both amateur-built and exhibition experimental certificates.This policy included all the operating limitations and the assignment oftest areas. In addition EAA worked with the FAA to reduce the flight testtime for ultralight type aircraft which obtain experimental certificates.EAA and FAA recently worked together to revise and update the Amateur-builtAdvisory Circular to meet the current rules and policies and the FAA isexpected to be releasing the new AC in the next few months.For over the last year EAA and FAA have been working directly together tocompletely revamp the method amateur-built aircraft are certificated and thetraining both FAA inspectors and designees obtain prior to being authorizedto inspect amateur-built aircraft. EAA has been publishing updates on thisissue in all of our publications and on the web for the last year. Mostrecently we surveyed all the EAA Technical Counselors to get their feedbackon what EAA has negotiated with the FAA and how many, if any, would bewilling to participate in the new program which may include volunteerinspectors as well as kit manufacturer inspectors and others. In additionthe new proposed program may be a national program were DAR's are appointedby one national office based on a national need not a local FAA office. Theproposed new DAR's would also operate nationally without being limited tothe current boundaries of FSDO's or MIDO's.One of the biggest concerns that EAA is working is that of the liability ofthe volunteer inspector. Several years ago the US Congress passed thevolunteer protection act which EAA believes provides liability protection toan individual who performs inspections for the FAA on a volunteer basis.EAA and FAA legal representatives are actively review this act and aredeveloping a position paper that will provide a description of how and underwhat circumstances the act will apply to our proposed new certificationmethods. All of this work takes time but the FAA has been very cooperativewith EAA and have assigned the required personnel and resources need tosupport this process. Currently EAA hopes that around the first of 2002 theFAA will introduce the new revised procedures for training and appointmentof amateur-built DAR's.EAA has noticed that frequently those who have complained about this issueare not currently EAA members so we suspect that they have not had exposureto EAA publications and programs so they are not aware of all the availableinformation and services EAA has to offer.I hope this information is helpful to you and lets you see that we have beenvery busy, and successful, in working with the FAA to improve the abilityfor all amateur-builders to build, certificate and fly their aircraft.EarlEarl LawrenceVP Government Relations________________________________________________________________________________