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/418587
EAA Experimenter 7 THE FIRST KNOWN ISSUANCE of operating limitations that includes provisions of the FAA's new Additional Pilot Program (APP) took place on Sunday, October 5, for a Van's RV-7 built by a builder in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Designated airworthiness representative (DAR) Jon Ross, EAA Lifetime 135637, inspected John Sannizzaro's airplane and included the APP in the operating limitations. That provision allows Sannizzaro, EAA 578246, the option to have a second pilot on board during Phase 1 fl ight test- ing. The FAA published Advisory Circu- lar (AC) 90-116 at the end of September and also released a deviation memo to Order 8130.2G, allowing inspectors and DARs to issue operating limitations to homebuilt aircraft that permit the use of the new program. Sannizzaro, already an experienced RV pilot, is excited to use the APP to add an extra layer of safety during some of his Phase 1 test fl ights. EAA has received several ques- tions from the community about how APP works. The following frequently asked questions (FAQ) list was created to help clear any confusion. Stay tuned for updates, webinars, and forums on the APP. Members also may call EAA Government Services at 800-564-6322, or e-mail EAA anytime for help on this or any other issue. How does this program work? Who is the additional pilot and when can they fl y with the builder? The APP is really split into two parts—the qualifi ed pilot (QP) and the observer pilot (OP). The QP is a pilot who meets certain experience crite- ria and is permitted to accompany the builder pilot on any fl ight of the aircraft during Phase 1 fl ight testing, including the fi rst fl ight. Once both the builder pilot and the aircraft have completed a basic set of tasks to achieve the most critical fl ight test and familiarization goals, an OP—any pilot who is rated in category and class and is current to fl y the aircraft—may fl y with the builder pilot as long as there is an agreed-upon purpose for the OP's presence. Examples of such a purpose might be spotting traf c during tests, troubleshooting instrumentation, etc. The program is administered through AC 90-116 and enabled by language in the aircraft's operating limitations. The APP may be used on any fl ight and is completely optional. Some builders may elect to fl y with a QP on the fi rst fl ight and never use the program again. Some may use one QP on the fi rst fl ight and another QP on other early fl ights. Others may skip using a QP and fl y with an OP on several fl ights later in Phase 1. The choice is entirely left up to the builder. What airplanes are eligible? The initial release of this program is limited to aircraft "built from a kit" that is listed in the FAA's Revised Listing of Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits. The aircraft must have an engine installation "recom- mended, supported, or provided by the kit manufacturer." What about plans-built aircraft? Plans-built aircraft are not in- cluded in the fi rst run of this program. That being said, the FAA has shown a genuine willingness to expand the APP to more types of experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft, includ- ing plans-built, in the near future if it is successful. EAA will likewise continue to support such a change. How about a plans-built ver- sion of a kit plane? The AC clearly spells out that the aircraft must be built from a kit, so these aircraft are not eligible at the present time. Why any restrictions on aircraft at all? While the APP will be available to more than three out of every four homebuilts, there were a few conservative steps taken in the initial ver- sion of the program. The APP represents a major shift in policy for the FAA, and that the program was imple- mented so quickly after its inception is remarkable. If it is shown to be as safe and ef ective as we believe it will be, we will have a strong argument to expand it to more aircraft. This whole program seems contradic- tory to conventional wisdom on fl ight test safety. Why implement it? That conventional wisdom, which states that minimum crew should always be used, is rooted in military/develop- mental fl ight testing and based on the assumption that the machine is most likely to fail during testing, not the pilot. In the amateur-built world, we see time and time again that this is not the case. The majority of accidents during Phase 1, both fatal and nonfatal, come down to human factors on the part of the pi- lot, who is oftentimes a builder new to fl ight testing, new to the aircraft, or low on fl ight experience during the build process. The APP allows the builder to bring into the fl ight-test equation an ex- perienced pilot who adds safety, and it's supported by a recent NTSB fi nding that such a program would be benefi cial. I am a DAR. How do I enable an appli- cant to use this program under the current guidance on operating limitations? A deviation to Order 8130.2G has been published that allows ops limits referencing AC 90-116 to be issued to eligible aircraft. First Operating Limitations Issued Allowing Use of the Additional Pilot Program Jon Ross (left) with John Sannizzaro and his RV-7.