SonexFlight Episode 43 - Sonex in the UK

[jowens]

A new sonex flight eposide is available with a discussion of sonex in the UK including the build inspection process, certification, test flying, and sonex population in the UK.

One question I believe was missed is what are the options for homebuilt aircraft maintenance in the UK? Do they have something similar to the repairman's certificate?

[sonexsteve]

There’s no equivalent to the Repairman's Certificate, at least outside formal qualification as an aircraft mechanic, which takes some years and many exams.

We have 2 levels of aircraft flight worthiness certification, a full Certificate of Airworthiness - for which an aircraft owner can do much low safety impact work on her or his own aircraft but general inspections and checks have to be done by a qualified person, and a Permit to Fly, which carries more restrictions on use of the aircraft but less on its engineering input.

All homebuilts qualify for a Permit, indeed they cannot get a CofA, which can only be issued to factory built aircraft.

But that does in fact help a great deal as all engineering work can be done by the owner, followed by a check of that work by the aircraft’s Inspector, the equivalent of a Technical Councillor. I guess the major difference is that a Permit aircraft must have an Inspector, whereas I believe the use of a Tech Councillor in the States is voluntary.

There is no differentiation between 'owner' and 'builder', any subsequent owner can do the work on their aircraft.

Steve Moody.