Silly Question

In Canada even after you fly off your test time(is it 25 hours in Canada?) do you still have to have the word "Experimental" on your plane? Is it there for good, or at some point can you legally remove it?

Thanks, just starting to learn about Homebuilts in Canada

Can't talk for Canada regulations but the obvious question is, why would you want to?

Canada

Yes the plane must always be experimental. Go the the MDRA website and they have a good little q and a four pager you can print out. They are terrible at emails but if you call they are really good folks to deal with. They are the ones who will inspect your plane and lay down the rules. If you havent already you need to register with them BEFORE you build. If you cant find the info pm me and i will dig it up and email or fax it you. Just dont have it at home.

Rick

RickWoodall said:

Yes the plane must always be experimental...

Click to expand...

Interesting. I don't know anything first hand about this but I had a long conversation with a Canadian pilot at Carlsbad today. His airplane has been flying for about 3 months and has way over 100 hours.

Anyway I asked him about the placards, because there was no experimental placard but there was an external placard to the effect that the aircraft has no airworthiness certificate, in English and French. He told me that he originally had the experimental placard but was told it was not needed in Canada.

In Canada the Experimental Catagory is not the same as the US. Your Experimental is our Homebuilt or Amateur Built Catagory. In Canada before we can fly the aircraft it has to go through a far more lenghtly and involved inspection process than you have. A final inspection is required for the aircraft not just the paperwork before we can get authority to fly the 25 restrcited hours off. During the 25 hours the aircraft must have placards indicating no passengers and no aerobatics. Once the 25 hours have been completed we have to apply to have the restrcitions removed. Once we have permission we can remove the no passengers placard. To have the Aerobatics restrictions removed we must apply for it and demostrate with an approved pilot that the aircraft is capaple of any of the maneveurs you wish to have removed. There is always a cost that goes with each step. As has been mentioned we do not need to placard Experimental or Homebuilt or such. I think the US system has some great aspects as with the Canadian system. Too bad there isn't more best practices going on between the two.
Wayne Hadath
Built and Flying: C-FAUH F1 Rocket (parts kit) 240 hrs
Building RV 10

Great info.

So the answer is that if you pass all the neccesary inspections there are no need for any placards?

placards

Once you pass all the inpections, all the paper work is complete and you've flown off your hours...Transport Canada says you can legally fly in Canadian airspace. I believe that you will be expected to display a placard which informs your passenger that they are flying in a non standard(non certified) aircraft. In both ofial languages

Yes, all the placards are still required, after the twenty five hours are flown off. As was stated by Wayne previously you may remove the "passengers prohibited" placard once you complete the test period and all the paperwork is done. All information regarding the inspection process and associated paperwork and placards are available from the MDRA http://www.md-ra.com/

"EXPERIMENTAL" Placard

I purchased a super sweet RV6 from Aden Rich (in Longview Washington) and Transport Canada made me remove the word "EXPERIMENTAL" from my bird before I was garanted the C of R. They told me that Canada does not have an experimental aircraft category.