EAA Steps Up to Protect Amateur-Builts, LSA, Others

March 28, 2014 - For the past two months, EAA has been working with the FAA to eliminate or mitigate potential problem language in the draft of FAA Order 8130.2H, which regulates aircraft airworthiness certification and operating limitations. EAA advocacy staff and the EAA Homebuilders Advisory Council identified several issues with the proposed language that would have had negative effects for the certification and flight of experimental aircraft. Many of the objectionable changes were found in the draft order's Appendix C, a totally new section of 8130.2 designed to streamline the process of assigning operating limitations to experimental aircraft.

An EAA government team traveled to Washington, D.C., to bring EAA's concerns with the proposed changes to the attention of senior officials in the FAA's aircraft certification and flight standards divisions. That team included Joe Gauthier of EAA's Homebuilt Aircraft Council, EAA Warbirds of America board member Jack Harrington, and Sean Elliott, EAA vice president of advocacy and safety.

"EAA has significant issues with many parts of the draft order, and we received verbal assurances from FAA officials that they were receptive to changes to the language that would maintain the intent of the previous order [8130.2G], while streamlining the document and making it more user-friendly," Elliott said. "We want to prevent any potential problems for aircraft owners and builders before these FAA order updates are finalized. We will continue to work with FAA officials until we have a draft that is acceptable to our community."