Flight Training - October 2019 - 8

UNUSUAL ATTITUDE BY DAVE HIRSCHMAN

Editor at Large DAVE HIRSCHMAN recently
sold his Van's RV-8 and is looking for another
aircraft-Experimental, of course.
dave.hirschman@aopa.org

NO THANKS

The FAA has certified some outstanding airplanes over the
years-but I won't own one.
And why would any rational person choose aircraft certified under FAR Part 23
over their Experimental amateur-built cousins? FAA policies make parts hard to find
and expensive. Airworthiness directives are constant threats. An inspection authorization, as well as an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate, is required for annual
inspections. Modern, safety-enhancing, cutting-edge Experimental-category avionics are largely off limits. And improvements owners want to make to their airplanes
require submitting to a cumbersome and time-consuming FAA approval process.
Thanks, but no thanks.
I'll take an Experimental-category airplane that offers higher performance,
better economy, and far lower costs. And I still get to file and fly IFR (with a normal
24-month pitot-static check).
Want Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B)? I do. And AOPA's
Sweepstakes Van's Aircraft RV-10 gets it at a lower price than Standard-category
airplanes flying in the exact same airspace at the exact same time.
How about an autopilot? A state-of-the-art digital autopilot with a Level button and
envelope protection sells for about $3,500 in the Experimental world. The same features
cost many times that much for Standard-category airplanes, if you can get them.
Got electronic ignition? Actually, my former RV-8's four-cylinder Lycoming has
two of them, and it's easier to start, more efficient, and more reliable as a result. Fuel
consumption is down about 15 percent, the engine runs smoothly lean of peak at
cooler cylinder head and exhaust gas temperatures, and it uses automotive spark plugs
8 FLIGHT TRAINING OCTOBER 2019

that cost about three bucks apiece and put
out more powerful, longer-lasting sparks.
LEDs? Sure. They last forever, use less
electricity, and don't require an external
power supply. And Experimental versions
are far less expensive than certified ones.
How about a GoPro or VIRB? Attaching a point-of-view camera is no problem
on an Experimental aircraft-you just need
to take common-sense precautions to keep
it from falling off or interfering with the
flight controls, test it, and make a notation
in the airframe logbook. The one time I
got FAA approval to mount a tiny pointof-view camera on the tail tie-down of a
Standard-category airplane, it required a
Part 337 field approval. It took months and
did nothing to improve actual safety.
What about an all-in-one attitude
instrument? I had two Garmin G5s in my
panel, and they provided triple-redundant
attitude information. If the aircraft electrical system fails, the G5s have internal
power. If a G5 attitude heading and reference system fails, the other one (which
normally acts as a horizontal situation
indicator) becomes an attitude indicator.
Of course, G5s (and similar Dynon
D10As) can now be installed in many
FAA-certified airplanes via supplemental
type certificate, and that's a tremendously
welcome and seismic regulatory shift. But
the STC version costs more and requires
a certified ultra-precise GPS source that
isn't needed on the Experimental variety.
What about identical products? My
ADS-B Out unit was made on the same
assembly line as the more expensive
certified product, yet the FAA treats them
differently-and all the advantages go to
the Experimental aircraft owner.
One of the most egregious examples is
an Extra 330LT, an aerobatic super-plane
built in a German factory that makes FAAand EASA-approved aircraft. Yet even
though the 330LT uses all approved parts
and IFR-capable avionics, it's not allowed
to fly in the clouds-but an Experimental
RV-10 made from a kit in a garage is.
The recently adopted Part 23 rewrite
contains some forward-thinking and welcome changes for aircraft manufacturers.
Hopefully, the FAA will follow through
with recommendations to ease regulatory
burdens and allow aircraft used for noncommercial purposes to be maintained much
like today's amateur-built Experimentals.
Until then, however, I'll fly Experimental. FT

Flight Training - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - October 2019