SonexBuilders.net

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?

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.