Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/254584
4 Vol.3 No.2 / Februar y 2014 WHEN YOU JOIN EAA, you are joining a membership organiza- tion. You receive many tangible benefi ts for joining. Each month, EAA Sport Aviation magazine arrives in your mailbox, and Experimenter hits your e-mail inbox. These are great ben- efi ts that inspire, entertain, and educate you. But I would argue the number one benefi t you receive is EAA's advocacy for sport aviation. I devoted two days this past week to participate in EAA's annual summit with the FAA's top leadership team here in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The fact that the FAA's top leaders take the time to come to EAA headquarters in the middle of January, in arctic temperatures, says quite a bit about the mutual respect that we have built up over the years. With the ability to have the FAA's undivided attention, this is a wonderful opportunity to make progress on the big issues impacting sport aviation. When you look back 61 years ago to when EAA was formed, there was no homebuilt movement, and "sport avia- tion" was a blip on the radar. In fact, experimental amateur- built (E-AB) aircraft had just recently been authorized and could not even legally carry a passenger! Paul Poberezny, EAA's founder, established early on that EAA would work with rather than against the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), now known as the Federal Aviation Ad- ministration (FAA), to achieve greater opportunities for people to build and fl y. In fact, at the fi rst EAA meeting on January 26, 1953, the main speaker was CAA employee Tony Maugeri. Fun- damentally, Paul was a "people person," so he worked to build productive personal relationships with the CAA/FAA. Within the fi rst year of EAA, the fi rst major expansion of homebuilt privileges was achieved by getting the CAA to allow a homebuilt aircraft to carry a passenger. EAA's own Steve Wittman received approval to carry a non-revenue passenger in his Wittman Flying Carpet, which later became the Wittman Tailwind. In the article announcing the change, EAA stated, "The EAA and its members feel that we have been given a wonderful opportunity by the CAA, but we also have to protect this right from individuals who may, through faulty construction, exceeding design limitations, and violating other Civil Air Regulations, cause this right to be taken away as it has in the past." Over the years, EAA members have continued to demon- strate that this "wonderful opportunity" was not abused and that we could be trusted with more and more privileges. We have demonstrated this commitment to build and fl y safely with our volunteer safety programs. The Technical Counselor program works toward a "zero defect" aircraft at the time of certifi cation by voluntary, in-process inspections. Our Flight Advisor program works with our builders to make sure that a safe and well-thought-out approach to test-fl ying the aircraft exists. Because of this type of commitment to safety that EAA members have demonstrated, it has allowed your advocacy staf to push for more and more opportunities for E-AB. Today, we enjoy building homebuilt aircraft that have no restriction on the number of passengers. We are able to use any materials and engines we desire. We can fl y aerobatics and under instrument fl ight rules. We have truly made the most of our "wonderful opportunity" to build and fl y homebuilts. So let's keep what we have earned by building and fl ying safely. Take advantage of our safety programs to not only help yourself but also to protect the homebuilt movement. This, along with your membership, is what our advocacy staf needs to maintain our freedom to build and fl y. EAA Advocacy in Action Wonderful opportunity BY CHARLIE BECKER HOMEBUILDER'S CORNER E A A E X P _ F e b 1 4 . i n d d 4 EAAEXP_Feb14.indd 4 2 / 3 / 1 4 3 : 1 2 P M 2/3/14 3:12 PM