Light Aircraft Association

Hi Everyone.

I am looking into the hurdles of buying a Whisper X350 from South Africa. Other than the usual obsticles like shipping, inspection, VAT, and flying it before buying it. I was wondering if anyone has seen these in the UK and if it would be a straightforward process to get it registered with the LAA. Any advice is appreciated. Should also mention the plane is already built and been flying in SA.

Getting LAA approval for a new design is not a walk in the park. You will need full co-operation of the manufacture to undertake any tests the LAA require. They will also require a great deal of documentation from the manufacture that would not normally be made public.

Though if it is a long established design, then the worldwide fleet may have sufficent safely flown hours to have partial or full exemption based on that history.

Suggest you call LAA engineeroing and have a chat with them.

Hi Ian,
I have just done a little reading on the requirements, which follow a complete strip and inspection process. I'm fine with that, other than what it may find. I will speak to engineering and the OEM with regard to support. Looks like there are 50 sold version of the one I am looking at, and more of the Gen 2 version, so hopefully there is sufficient evidence for flying hours.
Thanks for the reply.

Are you sure that the stripdown and inspect it not for importing an LAA appoved design that has been built outside of the LAA control?

You need TL 1.07