ELSA Repairman Inspection course at PRA convention at Mentone:
ELSA Repairman Inspection course at PRA convention at Mentone:
Martin Weaver, gyroplane CFI, Sport Pilot Examiner, has announced he will be conducting a
Gyroplane Repairman Inspection 16 hour training course at the PRA 2007 annual convention at Mentone, Indiana in August. Marty is an FAA accepted “school” for conducting these classes which, when completed, will allow the course graduates to obtain a repairman certificate to conduct the required annual condition inspections on their ELSA gyroplane.
The FAA Light Sport rules allow that gyroplanes that are not currently “N” number registered with the FAA may be certified as an Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (ELSA). This registration period is open until January, 2008. The 16 hour course Martin is offering will allow owners of such ELSA gyroplanes to receive their Repairman Certificate with inspection privileges to conduct and sign off their required “annual” condition inspections. Otherwise, if owners were not able to receive a “Repairman” certificate under the 51% rules, an Aircraft Inspector (AI) A&P would have to be used (and probably paid). If you have or will be transitioning your gyroplane to an ELSA – which, unless your gyro is a legal “ultralight” you do need to do – this course is a valuable opportunity for you.
The course will be offered on Wednesday and Thursday (August 1 and 2) at the PRA convention site. The course is 16 hours of academic and practical exercises that will allow the graduate to obtain a FAA Repairman Certificate to conduct the annual condition inspection on their ELSA gyroplane. The fee for the course is $250 per person if you register before July 1st. On or after July 1st the fee will be $300 per person. Upon completion of the course you will receive a graduation certificate and an FAA Form 8710-2 which will allow you to go to your local FSDO and obtain a repairman certificate. Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you have any questions. See our contact and training pages for additional information. E-mail or phone and we will send you a registration form.
This course is a valuable asset to those gyroplane pilots who are transitioning their gyroplanes to ELSA. All non-ultralight “ultralights” are required to be “N” number registered by January, 2008. If your aircraft cannot be certificated under the 51% Experimental Amateur-Built rules, the ELSA certification by Jan, ’08 may be your only way to legally fly your aircraft. The FAA is allowing such aircraft to be certified as ELSA at this time, but your time runs out after January, 2008; and your gyro would then no longer have any option to be flown legally. This Repairman Inspection course allows such ELSA operators to continue to conduct their own maintenance and annual condition inspections without incurring the additional expense of hiring a professional AI each year.
The FAA limits the attendance at such courses to 16 students – so get your reservations in quickly. A minimum of four attendees are required in order to conduct this course. (Refunds will be made if the minimum requirement is not made!)
“Marty” is a retired FAA manager, recently heading up the FAA’s Sport Pilot Division before retiring in 2005. Marty is an avid gyroplane enthusiast, instructor and flight examiner, and has been approved by the FAA to conduct these gyroplane inspector courses. As such, this is a great opportunity to learn from the pro!
In addition to the course offered on Wednesday and Thursday of the convention, Marty has volunteered to present another forum on Sport Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft certification. Plan to attend and sign up as soon as possible.
(PRA membership is not required for this course, but the PRA would appreciate your support in order to continue to provide such resources, including the 5209 training exemption, for the sport rotorcraft community.)
You may
register for this ELSA Inspector Repairman course by contacting Martin Weaver through his website at http://www.fun-air.org or by phone at 405-808-7116, or by mail at:
FUN AIR, LLC
P.O. Box 456
Mustang, OK 73064
