DonFromTX

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
I have a friend getting an aircraft from an estate. It is claimed to be 65% complete, but no records exist of the previous deceased owner/builders work. Since he has no way to prove it was even amateur built to this stage, how is he ever going to get an AW when he is finished? I am thinking dis assembly of 15% of the work, but then again I don't even believe it is 65% completed yet, who can make that decision? Help and comments appreciated.
 
Proof of amateur build

Don:

I'd suggest your friend ask for any builder logs, notes, receipts, installation and operating manuals, notebooks - I have this "informal documentation" at home, at work, on computers, in the hangar, in the garage, and in various trouser, shirt, and jacket pockets - from the executor of the estate. There may be a "miscellaneous stuff" box that's been overlooked, since no one associated it with the project.

All this may be sufficient, when the time comes, to help your friend qualify for a repairman certificate.
 
DAR help?

Maybe he could also locate a DAR in the area, and talk to him about this issue. Maybe the DAR would be helpful in resolving this for him. If you get the DAR involved now, it wont be an issue when he completes the build.

I offer this avenue because I did the same thing once. I told to the DAR the circumstances, and that I would be calling him for the AW inspection when I completed the build. The DAR said he would look that the project, talk to the family of the deceased builder (before I bought it) and make a decision.
 
Good advice from "blueflyer".
Get the DAR involved. He/She can probably help.

Just as an aside, disassembling and reassembling does not count toward the 51% rule.

And another FYI; Falsely claiming you did the work is punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment of up to 5 years.
(U.S. Code, Title 18, Sec. 1001)
Read the 8130-12, eligibility statement.
 
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Interesting. My point was that since he cannot prove it was an amateur build, if he took it apart and documented his build of the part, then it could be documented as amateur built. (And of course who would ever know he was "rebuilding" it and not building from scratch). You are then saying that buying a 50% commercially built craft would only allow it to be used as a lawn ornament?

Mel said:
Good advice from "blueflyer".
Get the DAR involved. He/She can probably help.

Just as an aside, disassembling and reassembling does not count toward the 51% rule.

And another FYI; Falsely claiming you did the work is punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment of up to 5 years.
(U.S. Code, Title 18, Sec. 1001)
Read the 8130-12, eligibility statement.
Click to expand...
 
I could say a great deal about what could or could not be done. Of course it would fall squarely outside the realm of what Doug would consider appropriate comments on this forum. Soooo, my comment is confined to this:
FAA inspectors and DAR's are humans. Call them, talk with them, explain the circumstances and have faith that the individual(s) the new builder ends up communicating with have a sense of understanding that will allow work to progress toward the process of obtaining a certification. Most individuals are rational thinking people who will have a component of their psyche that does allow them to work toward a successful solution to problems they confront. That goes for government personnel as well, even if the bureaucratic agency that individual works for might not.
 
Since the 65% done is only the previous builders estimate... complete the assessment form linked to in post #3.

I bet the remaining "35%" will probably qualify... just look at a QB kit. :)

It's all in the FAA assessment form and how they count percentages, not how we estimate the work.
 
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There seems to be an issue mentioned here about "proof" that no professional paid-for help was obtained by the prior builder. The written statements of relatives that would know and were aware of the build progress should be adequate for that specific issue. This kind of "proof" isn't like the "proof" needed that you have built a reactionless drive or a cancer-curing machine!
 
RVs are rarely built by one person with no outside help. Ask the family for names of friends and fellow pilots that may have helped with the build. Track those people down and get written statements that their friend did all the work.

Karl
 
It may not come to this, but on the checklist there is a lot of credit given for small parts, like flaps, ailerons, elevator and rudder. If all else fails, then you could shelf those parts and build new ones for further credit. That would not be falsifying or disassembly and reassembly. IIRC, the aileron and flap combined give as much credit as the wing or more.
 
Maybe he could sell part of it and rebuild the sold parts such as the tail or wings and create the proper documents while doing them. Also there is a saying that when you are 90% done you still have 90% to go.
 
In Italy, you have two ways to go:
1) build 51%;
2) buy a finished one and prove you are able to maintain it.

I believe it is possibile, ,maybe, mix the two and state you did not work the 51% but able to maintain. Who not?
 
Claraification

In US, the 51% rule has nothing to do with maintenance. Anyone can maintain an experimental amateur-built aircraft.
The 51% rule is to determine if the aircraft can be certificated as amateur-built.
 
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