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Homebuilding in Europe

I wonder which European countries have an “Experimental Amateur Built” category similar to that of the USA?

I have heard maybe Italy, but where else?

In the UK there is no experimental category, with all homebuilt aircraft types and even the smallest modification subject to cumbersome and costly approvals. When granted, such approvals sometimes include crippling of the aircraft’s capabilities – for instance by restricting the flaperon of a Zenith CH701 to one notch. Converting the same aircraft to tailwheel with proper Super-STOL type main gear would probably cause apoplexy.

As European countries progress towards implementation of ECAC recommendation INT.S/11-1 (border crossing), might there be opportunity for European homebuilders to shop around for national airworthiness regulations which best suit our needs?

Glenswinton, SW Scotland, United Kingdom

How flexible are Permit aircraft? While the LAA has been reluctant to bless some types, the BD-5 perhaps, the system does seem to allow quite a few types which would be Experimental in the US? Is the Zenith restricted under its Permit to Fly?

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

The UK permit is only for the aircraft built exactly to LAA approved specification, so if you want to fit a four-point harness instead of lap and diagonal, for example, you need LAA approval.

Same with the CH701 undercarriage. It’s a trike, so it can’t water-ski, can’t have decent size tyres, and has pathetic prop clearance. By changing to conventional gear with 4-5 psi in the tyres it could be beached at about 12 knots and stop in its own length, or land in a reed bed or uncut hayfield…

Glenswinton, SW Scotland, United Kingdom

In the UK I’ve occasionally read about a UK CAA program to introduce some kind of experimental airworthiness category. For instance here but it’s not very clear how restrictive it’s intended to be. Maybe it will be some kind of progress.

In this year old UK CAA document I find the following objective listed for September 2015… link

“Introduce an experimental airworthiness category to allow innovators & entrepreneurs in the UK to design, build & test products with minimum burden of regulation”

Last Edited by Silvaire at 15 Nov 16:33

It will be interesting. I was hoping that it would help me out in my situation, but a presentation that I went to recently didn’t fill me with much confidence. What I took away from it is that there will be this E-Category, by which the CAA will delegate responsability of authorisation to “approved people”. In the presentation, the speaker said that the list has been reduced so far to just the LAA, or a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society; and that further reductions may follow.

I left the presentation thinking that there will be no real benefit, well certainly for me. I will be starting my transfer of registration project over the winter.

EDHS, Germany

The words “experimental” and “homebuilt” and others are all variations of the same theme.

I wonder why the UK CAA would have set up the LAA and then undermine its authority by setting up a more relaxed regime in parallel? I can’t see it happening.

Does anyone have a reference for any proposal to allow European transits for homebuilts? That would transform the scene – even if only for VFR. Currently the IFR approval process (slowly working its way through the under-resourced LAA) is going to be partly moot because of the other stuff.

One step closer for the Lancair Evolution

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

I wonder why the UK CAA would have set up the LAA and then undermine its authority by setting up a more relaxed regime in parallel?

As far as I know the LAA came out of the Popular Flying Association, which obtained its powers by negotiation. The CAA didn’t set them up.

Peter wrote:

Does anyone have a reference for any proposal to allow European transits for homebuilts?

Isn’t that already in. It allows me to fly my G-Reg around Europe… and Europa XS his PH-Reg for example

Peter wrote:

Currently the IFR approval process (slowly working its way through the under-resourced LAA) is going to be partly moot because of the other stuff.

What other stuff?

The EASA Permit are for only some orphaned stuff that doesn’t fit under national regulations. An EASA permit to fly would be a great idea in principle, but with everything that comes out of EASA, it will be probably be grossly over regulating.

EDHS, Germany

What I took away from it is that there will be this E-Category, by which the CAA will delegate responsability of authorisation to “approved people”. In the presentation, the speaker said that the list has been reduced so far to just the LAA, or a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society; and that further reductions may follow

The ‘Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society’ bit is not inspiring as a qualification for an airworthiness inspector, particularly as it can’t be revoked by CAA in case of abuse, but otherwise that is not conceptually different than the FAA system in which the appointed individuals are termed Designated Airworthiness Representatives. They operate as a direct representative of FAA authority as individuals and issue the airworthiness certificate and operating limitations prior to the first flight. The issue I could see is the self impressed RAeS stuffed shirt type might decide to do a pre-flight design review versus a basic inspection of workmanship, and thereby negate the basic purpose for the Experimental Category. FAA DARs are not authorized to do that and are are at risk of losing their DAR appointment if they exceed their authority.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 15 Nov 18:50

Isn’t that already in. It allows me to fly my G-Reg around Europe

Has there been a recent change, which invalidates this, as well as the countless threads on EuroGA which discuss the border crossing privilege matrix?

Annex II is not the same as LAA so maybe wires are crossed?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Jacko wrote:

I wonder which European countries have an “Experimental Amateur Built” category similar to that of the USA?

Only microlight (MTOW 450 kg) can enjoy similar “freedom” to my knowledge. That is you can build and fly “whatever” you like. In Norway experimental homebuilt (MTOW 2000 kg) is also “free”, but you have to convince the CAA that large modifications and new designs are OK, and this means standard engineering work for the CAA to have something to relate to and approve.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway
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