Van's Air Force
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Safety Directive 00017 Typo?
- Thread starter jrock836
- Start date
The owner of an aircraft may only perform certain “preventive maintenance” on their aircraft. Look up FAR 43.3
Also look up FAR 43.3 appendix A, part C. for the list of allowed “preventative maintenance”. The owner must have at least a Private Pilot certificate or higher. (Sport pilot certificate isn’t enough)
I don’t believe the safety directive you posted falls into the category of “Preventative Maintenance” allowed here, especially if the fuel line has to be opened up. Buy your local mechanic lunch, or a 6 pack and have them perform the inspection and appropriate sign off.
Also look up FAR 43.3 appendix A, part C. for the list of allowed “preventative maintenance”. The owner must have at least a Private Pilot certificate or higher. (Sport pilot certificate isn’t enough)
I don’t believe the safety directive you posted falls into the category of “Preventative Maintenance” allowed here, especially if the fuel line has to be opened up. Buy your local mechanic lunch, or a 6 pack and have them perform the inspection and appropriate sign off.
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jrock836
Well Known Member
Sorry, that doesn't compute for me.. I can build an ELSA, I can take a two day class and conduct annual condition inspections on the aircraft, but you're telling me that I can only do "Preventative Maintenance"?? Something doesn't sound right to me..
The first few lines of part 43 specifically say it does not apply to experimental (EAB) aircraft.
Now E-LSA are an odd hybrid. The builder cannot get a repairman certificate by just asking the fsdo. To perform the annual condition inspection he or she must get an LSA repairman certificate. Evidently the authorities decided they wanted someone with some sort of credential to perform the Safety directive.
Now E-LSA are an odd hybrid. The builder cannot get a repairman certificate by just asking the fsdo. To perform the annual condition inspection he or she must get an LSA repairman certificate. Evidently the authorities decided they wanted someone with some sort of credential to perform the Safety directive.
jrock836
Well Known Member
All that is required for the owner of an ELSA to conduct his own Annual Condition Inspections is a Light Sport Repairman Inspection Certificate.. (2 day class).
The below text is copied directly off of the Rainbow Aviation Website..
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Successful completion of the LSA Repairman Inspection course, allows you to apply for an FAA Repairman Certificate for any Experimental Light Sport Aircraft which you own or one you purchase in the future. Once the aircraft is listed on your repairman certificate, you are allowed to do the condition inspection each year. You do not have to be the builder. You simply have to have successfully completed the 16 hour training course for LSA Repairman Inspection.
There is no expiration date on the certificate of course completion. You do not need to currently own an ELSA.
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Oops, I screwed that one up.. you’re right.. doesn’t apply to experimental, but does apply to special LSA.. I got e-lsa confused with s-lsa.
Why is this hard to understand? Yes, you can build the plane, yet can’t do the condition inspection.. same with this safety directive.. they want someone with higher credentials to perform it. There’s a lot in the FARs that don’t make sense.. this one doesn’t seem to be one of them..
jrock836
Well Known Member
I don't want to come off as a "know it all", but everything I have ever read about ELSA allows the owner to do any and all work on the aircraft. Can you provide any specific FAR that states certain Safety Directives can require "someone with higher credentials" to perform the work? ELSA is EXPERIMENTAL. I'm required to stay within my Operating Limitations, but it's still EXPERIMENTAL, just like your RV-8. Do you really think Van's is going to tell you that you are not qualified to work on your RV-8 and you need to find someone with higher credentials to do certain work after you have it built?
PM sent to Scott with Van's.. My money is still on it being a typo..
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It is a typo. I have issued a correction notice to the people that handle those types of things.
If you look at all other SB's and SD's issued for the RV-12(iS), you will find the following (or something very similar)-
Level of Certification: SLSA: LSA Repairman Maintenance or A&P
ELSA: Owner (certification not required)
Additional info related to additional discussion -
Van's, as an S-LSA manufacturer, is required by regulation to specify a certification level for completing any Inspection or Maintenance Manual task for an S-LSA. Those regulations, interestingly enough, require it be listed for an E-LSA as well, but we as a manufacturer can not dictate a requirement that conflicts with the FAA's regulations. As already mentioned, the first paragraph of FAR 43 makes the entirety of FAR 43 not apply to any aircraft that has an Experimental Airworthiness, so none of the regulations it contains that pertain to certification levels for completing any type of work or inspections on an experimental aircraft.
It is for that reason that the requirement for completing a condition inspection every 12 months, and the required certification level for who can do that inspection, is written into each experimental aircrafts operating limitations.
If you look at all other SB's and SD's issued for the RV-12(iS), you will find the following (or something very similar)-
Level of Certification: SLSA: LSA Repairman Maintenance or A&P
ELSA: Owner (certification not required)
Additional info related to additional discussion -
Van's, as an S-LSA manufacturer, is required by regulation to specify a certification level for completing any Inspection or Maintenance Manual task for an S-LSA. Those regulations, interestingly enough, require it be listed for an E-LSA as well, but we as a manufacturer can not dictate a requirement that conflicts with the FAA's regulations. As already mentioned, the first paragraph of FAR 43 makes the entirety of FAR 43 not apply to any aircraft that has an Experimental Airworthiness, so none of the regulations it contains that pertain to certification levels for completing any type of work or inspections on an experimental aircraft.
It is for that reason that the requirement for completing a condition inspection every 12 months, and the required certification level for who can do that inspection, is written into each experimental aircrafts operating limitations.
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jrock836
Well Known Member
THANK YOU SCOTT! Thanks for confirming my suspicions and verifying that I'm really not going crazy...
