Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:17 pm
Roger's statement is very positive. Im not that familiar with either regulation but they do seem to be "easier" at least in some respects to what we currently have for an LAA aircraft. However all is not perfect, I know in Canada they often seem to have problems waiting months for aircraft to be inspected and getting the paperwork done.
I wonder why we arent looking at the French homebuilding rules, they appear to be very much like the US experimental catagory which is in many ways the holy grail. It would appear that the French system is straightforward, but not knowing the full details, there may be other pitfalls. Certainly in France until quite recently although you could design and build your own aircraft, you couldnt build a kit, even now Im not sure if the likes of quick build its are accepted. I believe there is also a much longer test flying period, like there is in the USA, where you have to fly 40 hours before you can go anywhere or take a passenger and thats even if you build a quickbuild Vans RV kit exactly to VAns drawings.
After FRance, I think perhaps only Sweden may have an "easier" route to building and flying your own aircraft, when considering countries from the old Western Europe. Is certainly much more restrictive in places like Switzerland where every homebuilt has to have a full design analysis inc stressing before it can fly and this has to be presented for every example, not just the first one in the country.
Another country to look at is the Italian ultralight rules, which seem to be anything goes as long as its registered as an ultralight, but if ts registered as an aircraft everything is very restrictive!! But their "CAA" doesnt have restrictions on putting formally certified aircraft on the ultralight register, so you find Cubs and Vagabonds flying as ultralights.
I wonder why we arent looking at the French homebuilding rules, they appear to be very much like the US experimental catagory which is in many ways the holy grail. It would appear that the French system is straightforward, but not knowing the full details, there may be other pitfalls. Certainly in France until quite recently although you could design and build your own aircraft, you couldnt build a kit, even now Im not sure if the likes of quick build its are accepted. I believe there is also a much longer test flying period, like there is in the USA, where you have to fly 40 hours before you can go anywhere or take a passenger and thats even if you build a quickbuild Vans RV kit exactly to VAns drawings.
After FRance, I think perhaps only Sweden may have an "easier" route to building and flying your own aircraft, when considering countries from the old Western Europe. Is certainly much more restrictive in places like Switzerland where every homebuilt has to have a full design analysis inc stressing before it can fly and this has to be presented for every example, not just the first one in the country.
Another country to look at is the Italian ultralight rules, which seem to be anything goes as long as its registered as an ultralight, but if ts registered as an aircraft everything is very restrictive!! But their "CAA" doesnt have restrictions on putting formally certified aircraft on the ultralight register, so you find Cubs and Vagabonds flying as ultralights.