Government, Industry Partnership To Review Amateur-Builder
Statutes
The FAA is concerned
that some builders-for-hire and commercial "builder's assistance"
providers are doing more that the FARs permit when it comes to
amateur-built aircraft.
On September 6th, the FAA convened the first meeting of the
Amateur-Built Aviation Rulemaking Committee, comprised of 17
representatives of government, general-aviation groups, and
aircraft kit manufacturers. EAA holds a key leadership position on
this committee with one interest in mind: preserving the rights of
amateur builders.
In a release, EAA vice president of industry and regulatory
affairs, and Co-Chair of the committee, Earl Lawrence said,
“With this much FAA scrutiny, our members’ rights to
build and fly their own aircraft are at risk. Those individuals and
vendors who circumvent the letter and intent of the experimental
rules are putting all amateur-building enthusiasts’
privileges in jeopardy."
Lawrence shares the committee’s leadership with FAA
Manager Frank Paskiewicz and Van’s Aircraft CEO Richard
VanGrunsven.
“Our participation and leadership on this committee
provides an effective avenue for protecting the rights of our
EAA-member builders, craftsmen, kit-assemblers, and
restorers,” Lawrence said.
During the meeting, the group refined its mission, distilling
its broad purpose of examining the letter and intent of federal
rules governing the amateur building of aircraft into several
objectives:
- Investigate the effects of builder or commercial assistance on
compliance with the “51% Rule,” the stipulation that an
individual must perform the majority of the construction tasks in
building an experimental airplane
- More precisely define the elements of the 51% Rule to ensure
more uniform application and adherence across the industry
- Explore opportunities for creating new amateur-building
regulations, directives, advisory materials, and implementation
strategies that would advance the represented groups’ mutual
interests
- Document findings and present them to the appropriate
policy-making authorities
The group broadly agreed on its interest to preserve the
original language and intent of the amateur-building regulations.
There was also consensus that builder or commercial assistance
should remain an option for those attempting to build their own
airplanes.
The group will focus on builder or commercial assistance
providers who circumvent the intent of current regulations by
performing the majority of the construction tasks on behalf of
their customer.
“In the meantime,” Lawrence said, “we are
counting on the amateur-building community to practice good
peer-review and self-policing techniques. Cutting corners on the
51% rule is a disservice to the educational and recreational
function for which the aircraft-building experience is
intended."
The Committee will meet next in November in Washington, D.C.