Quote Originally Posted by Ron Blum View Post
For examples, if you don't fly IFR during your flight test phase, you can't fly your airplane in IFR conditions. If you don't fly aerobatics during your flight test phase, you can't fly aerobatics later.
Approval for IFR and aerobatics are handled differently in the aircraft operating limitations. Normally, aerobatics are prohibited by Phase II operating limitations. If an applicant doesn't want that limitation, he has to perform each specific aerobatic maneuver for which approval is sought during Phase I. Those maneuvers are then listed in the the blank spaces provided and become an active part of the Phase II limitations. So for aerobatics, flight testing plus pen and ink changes to the operating limitations are required.

Phase I operating limitations prohibit IFR, period. Once in Phase II, the operating limitations prohibit IFR unless the aircraft is equipped IAW with 91.205. In addition, that IFR equipment has to be inspected and maintained IAW applicable regs. However, no specific flight testing is required for IFR approval.