I would like to add my opinion that an owner-maintenance category or status is a great idea for SOME owners, and a terrible idea for others.

I happen to have been around long enough, and learned enough, and studied under the right people... to have a fairly good idea of what I can and cannot do safely. I hold two STC approvals and one PMA. I'm also VERY cognizant and vigilant of my limitations, of which there are a lot.

But there are a lot of pilots and owners who do not know which end of a screwdriver to pick up. There are a lot of people who would substitute a $3 automotive spark plug for a certified one, by trying to re-tap a cylinder head for the different thread, or use JB weld to compensate for the difference in thread.

There are some really good and experienced pilots who simply should not be working on airplanes. I'm not sure how this "owner maintenance" situation would keep them safe in between annual inspections.

Please remember that in this age of anti-aviation media, TSA, and lawyers crawling out of the toilet...every time someone makes an emergency landing on a road, or lands in someone's back yard... could be the END of our ability to fly freely in this country.