Repairman's Certificate process??

MrNomad · #1 01-10-2008, 09:55 PM

In this month's EAA Ehotline it says:

Q & A: Question of the WeekDoes the Repairman's Certificate application go to the DAR or get mailed to the FAA? If the FAA, which address? Also, must the DAR sign it first?
Answer:
The DAR cannot issue you a repairman certificate. You must appear before a FSDO inspector in person. Also, you cannot apply via the mail. After you get the airworthiness certificate for your aircraft (not before), you can call your area FAA FSDO and make an appointment with an airworthiness inspector to handle the repairman certificate. Contact info for your area FSDO can be found here on the FAA website.

When I got my AW Certificate last month for my 9A, the DAR told me to mail the application to the FSDO who assigned him to inspect my airplane. An appearance was never discussed. The fact that I completed the 9A and his scrutiny will be all I need to get the repairman's certificate (so said the DAR).

Whose right? What was your experience? Thanks.

Ironflight · #2 01-10-2008, 10:13 PM

Barry,

At least in the Houston area, we need to go see the FSDO. It was a painless process, for me at least, as my DAR gave me a letter to give the FSDO inspector. I don't know if other FSDO's are different - I'd just give yours a call.

Paul

rvpilot · #3 01-11-2008, 07:16 AM

Our local DAR handles the whole process for us! No hassles!!! Have things changed in the last year or so?

Mel · #4 01-11-2008, 07:27 AM

Technically you must report in person to the FSDO and be interviewed. A few FSDOs have been known to mail out the certificates. They are not supposed to.
You are supposed to:

Call the FSDO and make an appointment with an A/W inspector.
Fill out form 8610-2 and sign it in their presence.
Present your original form 8130-12 (signed and notarized).
Present a copy of your airworthiness certificate.
Present your aircraft logbook showing the airworthiness sign off.
Present a checklist showing how you will conduct the condition inspection on your aircraft.

Since I began issuing a letter of recommendation, as in Paul's comments, most FSDOs issue the certificate without question. It gives them a "warm fuzzy" that they have someones else's signature to fall back on.

Mel · #5 01-11-2008, 07:33 AM

There has been a lot of talk over the last several years about letting DARs issue the repairman certificate for amateur-builders. It was decided that because the repairman certificate is an "airman's certificate", it must be issued by an FAA inspector.
This directly from Oklahoma City.

robertahegy · #6 01-11-2008, 07:47 AM

I had the MKE FSDO do the AW inspection and they issued the Repairman's Certificate at the same time. I dealt with them in the past on my first homebuilt and found them to be very helpful and accomodating. Everything was free except for the coffee and kringle.

And I enjoyed visiting with the inspector.

Roberta

Gary Bricker · #7 01-11-2008, 07:51 AM

Three of us have got ours this month with Mel's letter and paper work he listed. In person at the FSDO @ Alliance APT.

vic syracuse · #8 01-11-2008, 09:31 AM

Unfortunately, it depends upon the local MIDO/FSDO. The MIDO here in Atlanta does not authorize us to issue the Repairman's Certificates.

Vic

Rick6a · #9 01-11-2008, 12:24 PM

If the FAA comes out for the inspection and issues the airworthiness certificate, they can also issue a (temporary) repairmans certificate during the same visit. In my case, I used a "civilian" DAR who did the inspection and issued the airworthiness certificate. As he pointed out, a DAR is not authorized to issue a repairmans certificate and must be applied for thru the local FSDO. Several months later, I made a personal visit to the STL FSDO to apply for the repairman's certificate. Using standard forms, the FSDO person I worked with struck me as being generally disinterested in the process. He didn't bother to review my records and photographs of the build I brought along with me and only asked to see my pilot license and a copy of the airworthiness certificate. After a few minutes of reviewing whatever he was reviewing on his computer monitor, he printed out the temporary certificate. Some months later, the "real" repairmans certificate which is practically identical in appearance to a pilot license was finally received from the good offices of the FAA in Oklahoma.

jeff beckley · #10 01-11-2008, 07:48 PM

My DAR would not issue the certificate. He said that I had to apply at the local FAA office. It was just my luck that my hangar where I keep my plane is 200 feet from the FAA. The guys in there were able to watch me assemble my RV7A if they wanted. Kind of spooky. Anyway when it came time to apply for the repairmen cert the guy asked for my builders logs and any photos to prove I built it. Geeeez...