Van's, RANS, Lance, and a Lot of Others...

While the general aviation industry has had its ups and downs over the past 25 years, the homebuilt aircraft segment has shown steady growth and now comprises more than 15 percent of the single-engine piston-powered general aviation fleet.

The Experimental Aircraft Association, which has provided support and activities for aircraft builders for more than 50 years, sees this trend continuing as the total number of homebuilts registered has surpassed 25,000 in the United States alone.

"While EAA has always been open to anyone with an interest in any facet of aviation, its core constituency has been those who build their own aircraft," said Tom Poberezny, EAA President. "A vast majority of those 25,000 homebuilt aircraft builders and owners are members of EAA, because there they find the information, support and activities they need. We look forward to serving them even more extensively in the future, along with the increasing number of people who discover that a homebuilt aircraft is a safe and fun to enjoy the world of personal flight."

Since the late 1980s, about 1,000 additional homebuilt aircraft have received their airworthiness certificates and been added to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) register each year. In many of those years, the number of new homebuilt aircraft registered annually surpassed the number of factory-built airplanes produced. Even as factory-built aircraft enjoyed a resurgence in the late 1990s and early in this decade, the number of homebuilt aircraft continued to grow.

The EAA attributes that growth to a number of factors, including:

• Impressive and positive safety and operating histories of homebuilt aircraft;
• The growing number of aircraft kits that allow builders to create a personal aircraft with enhanced quality and standardization;
• EAA programs that assist builders with solid, usable evaluations of an aircraft project and its owner's flying skills;
• Improved information capabilities, including through organizations such as EAA as well as informal groups such as those found on the Web; and
• Exciting new designs and performance standards that fit an individual's flying preferences.

"What homebuilt aircraft offer are a myriad of choices to the pilot," said Bob Warner, EAA Executive Vice President. "No matter what type of flying a person enjoys, there is a homebuilt aircraft that can help him or her realize their dream.  In addition, the true education and recreation aspects of aircraft building remain, just as they did when modern homebuilding began more than 50 years ago."

Warner added that he foresees continued growth in the homebuilt fleet as new models are introduced, including many that will be eligible within the upcoming sport pilot/light-sport aircraft standards expected to be published early in 2004.

EAA offers a large number of services for aircraft builders, such as one-to-one Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor programs; Aviation Information Services that provides background information on almost any model of homebuilt aircraft; SportAir Workshops at many locations throughout North America that teach the key concepts of aircraft construction and restoration; local grassroots support through EAA's extensive Chapter network; and many more. A new program to benefit aircraft builders will debut soon, as EAA has worked with FAA to develop standards for Designated Airworthiness Representatives, considerably shortening the time period needed to receive approval to fly a completed aircraft.

FMI: www.eaa.org