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EAA Tech Counselor for my 2nd build?

highflight42x

Well Known Member
I built an RV back in the stone age (flying it ever since) and have just started building airplane #2. Is there any advantage to having EAA Tech Counselor visits noted in my builder log for the DAR to look at during the final certification inspection? I'm thinking of pre-closure inspections of wing, empennage, fuel tanks, etc., which I feel like I don't particularly need as I think I know what I'm doing after 30 years of this EAB stuff, but will the DAR be unhappy if he doesn't see any tech counselor inspections in my builder log? My RV is going to be sitting right there next to the new airplane during the DAR's inspection, so I'm hoping that a good builder log and a good airplane #1 ought to be plenty of evidence of an airworthy airplane #2. Comments please - thanks

- Steven, based at PAE, Everett Wa.
(1300 RV hours - another one yesterday!)
 
Well I can’t honestly tell you if it will help with the DAR or FSDO inspector - but I can tell you that after fifty years of working on airplanes, I still learn new things now and again, so having someone else look at your project occasionally can still be of value. We all miss things, and fresh, extra eyes never hurt.

Paul
 
While the FAA does not strictly require in-process inspections during construction of an amateur-built aircraft, they do highly recommend it, as stated in FAA Order 8130.2J. As a DAR, I always ask about in-process inspections and sometimes end up talking with the persons who did those inspections. (And I still find things on the aircraft that were missed.)

Everyone looks at something differently, and even the most experienced builders and mechanics will occasionally miss something (or many things). Something I may miss, someone else is sure to find. And the more eyes, the better. I never overestimate my abilities, and you shouldn't either.

EAA Tech Counselors are free for the asking and more than willing to help. Please do yourself a favor and make use of the Tech Counselor program. You will be glad you did.
 
During my -9A build, I was never able to arrange for a TC visit, but I did have an experienced RV builder and A&P friend fly over and spend several hours looking my plane over a few weeks before the DAR was scheduled to visit in April. He found several minor issues which were corrected quickly. The DAR did not have any comment about the lack of a TC visit, but he did find a loose jam nut that we both missed!!! Those suckers are everywhere, right Vic?
 
IIRC, the TC visits were never mandated by FAA or EAA. Instead, the insurance companies used to offer a rate break if you had three visits logged for your project. That offer disappeared before I finished my RV-6A.

That said, I find you can never get enough eyes on a project. Getting advice from a TC, A&P, or other source of experience is valuable. So even though it is not required, it is still not a bad idea to have a TC weigh in, if you have one available.
 
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