Newby here with a question

[rwanttaja]

My understanding....


Ron Wanttaja

[Joda]

Ok, first of all, it's important to understand the difference between maintenance and inspection. The basic situation is that, for experimental aircraft there is no restriction at all on who performs maintenance (including repairs and modifications). ANYONE can perform maintenance on an experimental aircraft, regardless of whether they are the owner, the builder, or just a interested party. 14 CFR Part 43 contains the maintenance regulations, and right there in 43.1 it states that part 43 doesn't apply to any aircraft that holds an experimental airworthiness certificate unless the aircraft originally held a different type of certificate. This is specifically worded on that way so as to discourage people from taking standard category aircraft and converting them to experimental. In such cases, part 43 still applies, so all maintenance rules for standard category aircraft would still apply even though the aircraft was switched to experimental.

So, in the case of an amateur-built aircraft, ANYONE can perform maintenance, repair, or even modification. The owner can do it, the builder can do it, the pilot can do it, an A&P can do it, the man down the street can do it, your mother can do it, a trained monkey can do it. Anyone! So even though there is a "repairman certificate" for amateur-built aircraft, it really has nothing to do with repairing the aircraft. The only time a repairman certificate is required is when performing the condition inspection each year. This requirement is called out in the aircraft's operating limitations, NOT in the regulations themselves.

So, for experimental aircraft (whether amateur-built, light-sport, exhibition, or what have you) the inspection requirements will be called out in the aircraft's operating limitations, issued as a part of its airworthiness certificate. The operating limitations will call out how often the aircraft needs to be inspected and to what standard, AND who is authorized to perform such inspections. The specific requirements will differ depending on which experimental purpose the aircraft is certificated for, but the operating limitations will spell it out.

The only time a repairman certificate actually applies to repairing the aircraft is in the case of a Special LSA. These are the factory-built, sold ready to fly LSA. The maintenance manuals for these aircraft will spell out who is authorized to perform certain maintenance functions, and many times an LSA repairman with a maintenance rating will be authorized. But these aircraft are not experimental. They are specifically "light-sport" category, which is different than "experimental light-sport" category.

Clear as mud, right????

[1600vw]

So the short answer and best answer to this question: Look in your Operating Limitations for the answer.

[Frank Giger]

You left out big fistfulls of mud, Joda.

Owners can perform maintenance on certified aircraft - as long as it's under the supervision of and signed off by an A&P.

Loads of certified aircraft are re-covered and painted by owners, as an example.

[Joda]

So the short answer and best answer to this question: Look in your Operating Limitations for the answer.

Yep, you got it!!

[Joda]

You left out big fistfulls of mud, Joda.

Yep, we were only talking about experimental aircraft. I've got a whole hour forum presentation on owner-performed maintenance on standard category aircraft I can bore you with. And of course an A&P has the discretion to oversee others who are performing maintenance functions, as you pointed out. Not germain to this discussion though. Too much mud!!

[Frank Giger]

To be honest, when approaching the prospect of learning to fly and owning an aircraft, this very topic - who can do what in maintenance - put me firmly in the "oh, heck no, I'm building my own" camp!

[dougbush]

So with an experimental rating can the owner do all the mechanic work on it just like for the home built?

Home-built (Experimental/Amateur-Built) is a type of experimental airworthiness certificate. Other types of experimental certificates have different restrictions on how such aircraft may be used.