D

dicer

Member
I thought I had heard one time that if you build your own aircraft and of course it is FAA approved to fly, that you could apply that time towards getting an A&P license. Is that true?
 
Not actually an A&P license... its called a Repairman Certificate... and it allows you to perform all maintenance and annuals on the aircraft YOU built... nobody elses... In order to get it you must show that you built atleast 51% of the aircraft. I BELIEVE you can do maint. on one that was bought and is in the experimental category... but cannot do the annuals without the repairman cert. Welcome aboard btw!
 
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Almost, but not quite.

The repairman certificate only allows you to perform the annual condition inspection on YOUR aircraft. Anyone can perform maintenance on an amateur-built.
As to the A&P mechanic certificate, technically all experience is supposed to be on a standard certificated aircraft. However, some FAA offices have been known to give credit for amateur-built experience. Check with your local FAA office.
 
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Sure you can, the time counts towards the "on the job experience" path to getting your A&P. But it's not exactly a walk in the park to do either: you need 1500 hours minimum (which the FAA says is equal to 3 years experience, go figure).

Of those 1500 hours you need to show experience in the various areas where A&Ps need to have knowledge and experience: both airframes AND powerplants. Hanging a brand new Lycoming on your RV does not fulfill the requirement to have powerplant experience. You need to be actually doing maintainence, which depending on what your local FSDO requires may be much more indepth.

Also, start keeping an A&P log NOW on all the work you do, buy a real A&P Log and write down as much as you can. If you ever do work with someone who is already an A&P, get them to signoff the work you did (in your A&P log) to show the FAA you are actually doing work and not making things up. This is one area that is pretty easy to fake, so to get your FSDO to accept your experience is not as simple as showing up with all the paperwork filled out.

I'm a Light Sport Repairment/Maintainence and this is the way that I'm working towards my certificate, so I'm already on the path. I know other guys who've done it this way and it IS doable, but you have to do it properly.

Jeff
 
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danielhv said:
Not actually an A&P license... its called a Repairman Certificate... and it allows you to perform all maintenance and annuals on the aircraft YOU built... nobody elses... In order to get it you must show that you built atleast 51% of the aircraft. I BELIEVE you can do maint. on one that was bought and is in the experimental category... but cannot do the annuals without the repairman cert. Welcome aboard btw!
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Your qualification for the repairman's certificate doesn't have anything to do with whether or not you performed 51% of the construction. The DAR just wants to be assured you know enough about the construction of your plane to adequately perform the condition inspection. That is why a good photographic construction log is helpful.

It is a nit-picky distinction but "annual inspections" refer to aircraft with standard airworthiness certificates. Experimental aircraft must have a "condition inspection" every twelve months.

The 51% stuff has to do with whether or not the plane is an amateur-built aircraft.
 
Perfect Sam!

A perfect response....and I am so glad you didn't call it a "conditional" inspection....:p
 
What paperwork

You built it - now how......What paperwork is required to get your "repairman's certificate"?
 
Many moons ago (about 100 or so) I was signed off by the local FSDO for the "A" of the "A&P" based on my documented airplane building experience. At the time I thought it wasn't worth the time to study and test just to get the airframe portion of the certificate. Since then (and after the endorsement has expired), I learned it was easier to get the "P" after you have the "A". Nice opportunity that slipped through my hands, because I hear those endorsements are long gone.
 
Sam said above:

"The DAR just wants to be assured you know enough about the construction of your plane to adequately perform the condition inspection."

Just to be clear, the DAR cannot issue the Repairman Certification that allows you to do the condition inspection - only FAA can, although they can solicit input from the DAR if they wish. Im pursuing my repairmans cert. now, having gotten the airworthiness certificate about 6 months ago from my DAR. FAA man says he will come out and take a look at the plane as part of the repairman process. The visit is technically not required, but he wants to so that he is sure I am capable of doing a proper condition inspection.

regards

erich
 
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As a courtesy to my customers, I issue a "letter of recommendation" written to the FSDO stating that the applicant has satisfactorily shown evidence that he constructed a major portion of this aircraft. With this letter is a list of things to take when applying and what to expect.
Since I've been doing this, I've been told that with this letter, the FSDO issues the certificate without question. It seems to give them a warm fuzzy feeling when they have a name to point to.
 
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Mel said:
Since I've been doing this, I've been told that with this letter, the FSDO issues the certificate without question.
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Yup....the FSDO inspector I saw trembled when they saw the name of MEL, and no more needed to be said!;)
 
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