High Performance Endorsement

[N402RH]

Do you really need to have a high performance endorsement to fly an experimental aircraft with 260HP?

I need to log more IFR simulated time in my RV-10 and it would be nice to use Jeffrey, my 18 year old son as the safety pilot. Jeffrey has his PPL, is competent flying the RV-10 but does not yet have a high performance endorsement.

When I did my RV-10 transition training I was told it is an experimental and you do not need the endorsement. I was also told that you do not need a tail wheel rating to fly a tail wheel experimental? Just to be safe I have both.

Pictures from my Monday afternoon flight around Mt. Hood








Rob Hickman
N401RH RV-4 N402RH RV-10

[Mel]

I think you will find a paragraph that includes the statement that, "The pilot in command must meet the requirements of part 61.31(e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) as appropriate."

You may have heard the reference to paragraph (k) of this section which refers to solo operations, but that paragraph is superceeded by your operating limitations.

[asav8tor]

Nice panel

[Don Jones]

He can be safety pilot according to this:
§ 91.109 Flight instruction; Simulated instrument flight and certain flight tests.

(b) No person may operate a civil aircraft in simulated instrument flight unless—
(1) The other control seat is occupied by a safety pilot who possesses at least a private pilot certificate with category and class ratings appropriate to the aircraft being flown.

Private Pilot Airplane Single Engine Land is all he needs to act as Safety Pilot. The HP endorsement however is required to be PIC according to:

61.31 Type rating requirements, additional training, and authorization requirements.

(f) Additional training required for operating high-performance airplanes. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (f)(2) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command of a high-performance airplane (an airplane with an engine of more than 200 horsepower), unless the person has—
(i) Received and logged ground and flight training from an authorized instructor in a high-performance airplane, or in a flight simulator or flight training device that is representative of a high-performance airplane, and has been found proficient in the operation and systems of the airplane; and
(ii) Received a one-time endorsement in the pilot's logbook from an authorized instructor who certifies the person is proficient to operate a high-performance airplane.
(2) The training and endorsement required by paragraph (f)(1) of this section is not required if the person has logged flight time as pilot in command of a high-performance airplane, or in a flight simulator or flight training device that is representative of a high-performance airplane prior to August 4, 1997.

There is no exemption for an experimental the way I read that.

[Mel]

Don is correct of course for "safety pilot."
My comments were directed to the other statements that insinuated that the PIC didn't need the ratings.

[Radomir]

The FAA inspector that inspected my plane said that no.. you do not need high perf nor tailwheel endorsements to fly experimentals.. so the way FAA is combating that is by adding the verbage that Mel mentioned in operating limitations... so most likely, yes you do need them... My operating limitations are written in such way... (even though neither applies in my case..)

[Ron Lee]

Can you post better pictures of the panel? It looks nice even though it is missing an adequate number of steam gauges.