I don't want an Experimental anyway...

[Frank Giger]

If amateur aircraft didn't look so good we could get away with euphamisms that get used on terrestrial vehicles. When some guy puts a Dodge Dart body on a Bronco frame that's lifted three feet everyone knows it's not standard.

But amateur built aircraft usually don't look any different from spam cans to the uneducated eye.

Would I let my kid ride in an amateur built aircraft at an EAA sponsored event? Yep, without a concern. Do I think that somebody else should know that they're about to put their kid in an airplane built in a garage? Sure.

When cars or boats break down they usually just roll to a stop. Not so airplanes.

[turbo]

plan on the gov to screw it up if they are involved.

[Todd copeland]

How about "non-certified" not very catchy but does not imply something dangerous to the uneducated. I tell people it is a category of aircraft that the FAA needs to define. Like the originator of this thread I don't wish to experiment with my aircraft. I prefer "proven" when it comes to my flying but I do enjoy the superior performance and the satisfaction from building my own aircraft. However, there are those aircraft which should have a warning to would be passengers. Some of the engine choices come to my mind. I believe everyone should have the right to fly behind what ever engine they want, but a passenger should probably have some understanding of the failure rate with some auto engine conversions. Passengers often blindly trust their pilot to make all the decisions regarding the safety of flight and if they understood the statistics they might not want to fly with some pilots. How else does the FAA warn these would be passengers?Todd

[Eric Witherspoon]

Ok, my examples still haven't got where I thought I might get. Here's an example from just this week. I have a friend at work who is into racing cars. Another example that sounds different from "non-street legal derivatives of passenger automobiles". Notice they don't call 'em "non-street legals" (hmm... maybe they do - World of Outlaws: woosprint.com woolms.com). I was asking him about the Indy Cars race in Vegas that he was at last weekend, but being a turning-gas-into-noise fan, I brought up Copperstate and why he (or anyone into power and speed) might be interested in spending a good part of the day on Saturday to drive up to see those kinds of gas-into-noise machines. Does that create another Sport Pilot? Does that generate more sales for the E-AB industry? Probably not. But he tells his friends, they tell their friends, and maybe Copperstate sells a few more tickets next year... And maybe some of those guys decide they want to try a flight or something...

Any vernacular you prefer to use in casual conversation other than "Experimental" that's not along the lines of "bug smasher"? Or must we all use the legally-prescribed terminology in casual conversation?

FWIW, the BD-5 derivative little jet was AWESOME. The couple of passes by the Warbirds (big, round-engine types) were likewise, AWESOME.

[Bill Berson]

Custom Built, Sport Plane, Light Sport...
Bill

[spungey]

Non-commercial