New owner of Sonex 804

[paddydix]

Hi everyone ! Purchased Sonex 804 and trying to get her ready to bring home. I live in Moscow, TN , and the airplane is currently in Gilbert, SC. Insurance is going to require 10 hours of CFI time. Wanting to get a new weight and balance , I don't have a Sonex POH yet and was curious as to proper way to do one on the Sonex. I can't wait to fly this bird ! Thanks for the help in advance.
Patrick Dixon

[GraemeSmith]

You can purchase a "blank" pro-forma "Sonex Flight Manual Part SNX-B06, Rev B11/04" from Sonex which will give you some ideas. But there are a lot of "blanks" that should be filled in by the Builder during Phase 1 to get anything meaningful for speeds and performance numbers.

There should be an original W&B somewhere for that particular aircraft too. Ask the Builder for a copy.

And congrats on your purchase!

[paddydix]

Thanks , dreadfully the previous owner is deceased, and family didn't know where he kept a lot of info. W/B was not in aircraft. I don't know if the original builder is still around.

[Matt541]

Welcome! Must be a good time to buy a Sonex or something...

Exactly what Graeme said on the POH. Mine came with one, but not the plans...

FWIW, they do fit in a U-Haul. Or on a car hauler. Pretty easy process to remove the wings. I only mention this as it may be easier to get all the regulatory/ safety stuff done closer to home.

[Rynoth]

Welcome!

You may find yourself in a big of regulatory no-mans-land with your new purchase. Without the standard required documents on board it may not be technically legal for the plane to fly, and navigating the regs to get the plane airworthy can be complicated. All that to say, many here will be happy to help/offer suggestions on where to find the information you need, but ultimately getting all of the proper documentation up-to-date will be up to you. I'm sorry if this statement isn't helpful, it's just that it's complicated and I don't think anyone wants to tell you to do anything that's out of regulations.

I'm still working on creating a POH for my plane in Phase 1 testing. The generic Sonex POH is a good starting point, and I've found the EAA Flight Test Manual to be very helpful in creating my own custom POH. https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/about-eaa/ea ... -COMMUNITY

Other builders have also shared their POH which can be a useful resource in creating your own, Jeff Shultz's being the first to come to mind http://www.sonex604.com/

[badaero]

I recently purchased Sonex 882, and have been flying with Ron Dillard(Advanced Tailwheel Training) in Lebanon(M54) in his 150 hp Citabra to get me ready while getting the plane ready. What insurance agency and what coverage are you seeking, I haven't started looking yet.
Bruce

[XenosN42]

Hi everyone ! Purchased Sonex 804 and trying to get her ready to bring home. I live in Moscow, TN , and the airplane is currently in Gilbert, SC. Insurance is going to require 10 hours of CFI time. Wanting to get a new weight and balance , I don't have a Sonex POH yet and was curious as to proper way to do one on the Sonex. I can't wait to fly this bird ! Thanks for the help in advance.
Patrick Dixon

When my Sonex planes were inspected the DAR sent a copy of the weight & balance to our local FSDO. Not sure what they did with it, or if they kept a copy. You might want to check with the FSDO nearest to the orginal builder. Just a thought.

[Rynoth]

When my Sonex planes were inspected the DAR sent a copy of the weight & balance to our local FSDO. Not sure what they did with it, or if they kept a copy. You might want to check with the FSDO nearest to the orginal builder. Just a thought.

That's actually a really good point... when my DAR inspected my plane, he actually wanted/kept copies of my W/B and full builder log. If you can find out who the DAR was, it's possible they have some information that's helpful. Their name should be on the airworthiness certificate.

[Gripdana]

Don't forget about the operating limitations that were issued at the time of inspection. I have a copy of mine in the plane with the airworthiness certificate.

[fastj22]

Don't forget about the operating limitations that were issued at the time of inspection. I have a copy of mine in the plane with the airworthiness certificate.

My DAR did not keep a copy of the operating limitations or W/B to send to the FSDO that I'm aware of so I don't know if they have copy. If you don't have them, you may need to contact the FSDO to get guidance on replacing them. The W/B should be easy to recreate but since you don't have the repairman's certificate, you may need an A&P to sign it off along with of course a condition inspection. But them operating limitations? Hmmm.