jim_geo wrote:NO! Not anyone can maintain an experimental. You as the builder who have been given a repairman cert. by the FAA can maintain your own home built. If you were a non builder that owns an experimental then you would have to have an A&P maintain your plane or work a deal with the original holder of the cert. to do the maintenance. The cert. doesn't transfer. As far as painting, anyone can paint your plane but you will have to do the weight and balance after it's finished being painted.
Sorry Jim, but I believe you to be incorrect. Anyone can work on one. I can work on yours, you can work on mine. The repariman's certificate does not apply here. The repairman's certificate really only applies to doing the condition inspection. Remember, as we saw above, experimental amatuer built is explicitly excluded from Part 43.
However, Part 91.409 speaks to annual inspections. Here is a snippet of it:
§ 91.409 Inspections.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, no person may operate an aircraft unless, within the preceding 12 calendar months, it has had—
(1) An annual inspection in accordance with part 43 of this chapter and has been approved for return to service by a person authorized by §43.7 of this chapter; or
(2) An inspection for the issuance of an airworthiness certificate in accordance with part 21 of this chapter.
No inspection performed under paragraph (b) of this section may be substituted for any inspection required by this paragraph unless it is performed by a person authorized to perform annual inspections and is entered as an “annual” inspection in the required maintenance records.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, no person may operate an aircraft carrying any person (other than a crewmember) for hire, and no person may give flight instruction for hire in an aircraft which that person provides, unless within the preceding 100 hours of time in service the aircraft has received an annual or 100-hour inspection and been approved for return to service in accordance with part 43 of this chapter or has received an inspection for the issuance of an airworthiness certificate in accordance with part 21 of this chapter. The 100-hour limitation may be exceeded by not more than 10 hours while en route to reach a place where the inspection can be done. The excess time used to reach a place where the inspection can be done must be included in computing the next 100 hours of time in service.
So there is the basis for the annual and 100 hour inspections. To continue this section, subpart (c) has some exceptions.
(c) Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to—
(1) An aircraft that carries a special flight permit, a current experimental certificate, or a light-sport or provisional airworthiness certificate;
(2) An aircraft inspected in accordance with an approved aircraft inspection program under part 125 or 135 of this chapter and so identified by the registration number in the operations specifications of the certificate holder having the approved inspection program;
(3) An aircraft subject to the requirements of paragraph (d) or (e) of this section; or
(4) Turbine-powered rotorcraft when the operator elects to inspect that rotorcraft in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section.
So if experimental aircraft dont have to have annual inspections, where is the FAR that requires them to have "condition inspections?" I dont believe that there are any. This is usually a stipulation provided in the operating limitations give to the aircraft when it receives its certificate.
If we look at FAA order 8130.2(F), which is the guidance document that the FAA has handed down to be used in such things as certificating aircraft, etc., it sheds some light . Specifically:
Section 9: Experimental Amateur-built Airworthiness Certifications
Paragraph 153: Issuance of Experimental Amatuer-Built Operating Limitations
This is a long paragraph so Ive only included some interesting aspects of it:
a. Operating limitations must be designed to fit the specific situation encountered. The ASI may impose any additional limitations deemed necessary in the interest of safety. The ASI and/or designee must review each imposed operating limitation with the applicant to ensure that the operating limitations are understood by the applicant.
b. The following operating limitations shall be prescribed to experimental amateur-built aircraft:
What follows in the paragraph is a list of roughly 28 limitations to be placed on experimental homebuilt aircraft. Ive listed the important ones below.
(22) No person must operate this aircraft unless within the preceding 12 calendar months it has had a condition inspection performed in accordance with the scope and detail of appendix D to part 43, or other FAA-approved programs, and was found to be in a condition for safe operation. As part of the condition inspection, cockpit instruments must be appropriately marked and needed placards installed in accordance with § 91.9. In addition, system-essential controls must be in good condition, securely mounted, clearly marked, and provide for ease of operation. This inspection will be recorded in the aircraft maintenance records.
...
(26) An experimental aircraft builder certificated as a repairman for this aircraft under § 65.104 or an appropriately rated FAA-certificated mechanic may perform the condition inspection required by these operating limitations.
It appears that the condition inspection & who can do them are not given as an FAR, but given in the operating limitations of the aircraft at the time it is certificated. This is the only place where the requirement to hold the repairmen's certificate (or A&P) is given with respect to experimental amatuer built. As we saw earlier in the thread, experimental amatuer built aircraft are explicitly exempted from part 43 of the FAR's which regulate the maintenance of aircraft and who can do them.
Aha, but what about the phrase "performed in accordance with the scope and detail of appendix D to part 43" in the operating limitations regarding the condition inspection? Well, if you look at appendix D of part 43 you will see that it is a list of assemblies, equipment, & systems to be inspected during an annual inspection.
Make sense?
John
CJ