Air Worthiness Certificate

According to the 2017 FAA stats, there were just 2 recreational gyroplane pilots in the US, and about 150 recreational airplane pilots.
I remember when they first came out with the rating in the late 1980s and they had to drag people into it. I am amazed that there are
that many recreational gyroplane Pilots in the U.S.. It was a effort to water down the private pilot license to get more people into aviation.
They need to broaden the private certificate not water it down. Years ago you could get a private pilots license with out meeting any of the night
requirements. On your license you would have no flight at night. Now it is mandatory to meet the night requirements.
 
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I'm sure most folks just completely overlook the words "or privilege" as just another bit of legalese. However, upon reflection, it seems to me that the implication is that such "privilege" would only apply to those NOT having a certificate. Endorsements always confer extra privileges, when you think about it.
You know you can rely on me to complicate things! There is another legal meaning to "privilege" in this context. If you hold, for example, a commercial certificate with Airplane Single Engine Land category and class, it is possible to gain the experience and take the appropriate tests to have added to your certificate "Private Privileges, Rotorcraft Gyroplane", if you neither seek nor qualify for a full commercial rotorcraft rating.

This could be the case whenever you test for a lower level (which can be all you want, need, or qualify for) than the highest you hold (which will set the level of your certificate). For a time I had a Commercial Glider certificate, which explicitly stated "Private Privileges, Airplane Single Engine Sea".

A determined NTSB or FAA officer might interpret the language in this sense and not consider a log endorsement to be sufficient. Arguing such things is how lawyers can afford their own aircraft.
 
Your point is well made, but I think the main sense in either case is that a "privilege" is something extra, not being something automatically included or implicit in the certificate.
 
It would seem that for some people the new system has been slowing things down. I was curious and began a search and found some guidance from the EAA.

The EAA has put out a webinar detailing the various steps through the new procedure.

Hope this can help clear up some of the mystery surrounding the new system of online certification.


The webinar makes it sound fairly straightforward.

What is being sought is a Special Certificate/Experimental/Amateur Built.

It appears that the builder can initiate the application and at the end you will specify wether you wish to work with either a DAR, MIDO or FISDO.
 
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Leigh:

I watched the webinar and also spoke to a local DAR. The new system is slowing things down and so is internal FAA processing. The system is choked right now, don't know why because functional experts should still be accessing these files remotely but that does not appear to be happening.

I submitted a simple reg number reservation request about 5 weeks ago. Supposed to have a response within 3! Called FAA and they have the request but have not acted on it.

Go figure!

Bobby
 
Yes our application for a reg was done by me right at the beginning of the build. I then began the process of actually confirming the reg which required the various forms to be filled out signed notarised and send in with the rest of the fee. This took time, and then was sent back to us as there had been a mistake. We corrected re-submitted and finally got confirmation that the registration was complete.

As this was done during the build so no worries there. The gyro was then taken to Mentone for inspection by our DAR. There were some things that had to be rectified and some small changes made. This is where we are at now.

At this stage the application for the airworthiness is being handled by the DAR, and I am not sure where he is in the process or where the hold up might be.

I am now wondering if I can go online and review the application to see how far along it has gone, or if indeed it has begun, or is entry to this application limited?

Anybody know?
 
If you go the FAA aircraft registration page for your N-number, it will show the airworthiness date, if it has been completed. Otherwise I think if it has started, it will say "pending". I don't know that there's any public place that shows "progress", beyond that.
 
Also, I think the presenter indicated that at various points in the process the DAR would need to intervene to move things along!

Bobby
 
I got the following answer back from Timm Bogenhagen at the LAA. To access that particular process if already begun you would need to use the DAR’s user name and password.

This seems to indicate a single user for the process. This would I image be the registered owner or the DAR, possibly a builder.
 
I got the following answer back from Timm Bogenhagen at the LAA. To access that particular process if already begun you would need to use the DAR’s user name and password.

This seems to indicate a single user for the process. This would I image be the registered owner or the DAR, possibly a builder.
Leigh:

The portal is for the builder and as the build progresses the DAR then uses his login to continue the process. I would think that your DAR can tell you where you are in the process. My fear at this point is that even with this new tool things are just going to drag on!
 
That link was most helpful.
It is now at the top of PRA.org home page.

Thank you!!!
 
I would think that your DAR can tell you where you are in the process.
Contact with the DAR is tenuous at best.

I have asked, still waiting for a reply.
 
Contact with the DAR is tenuous at best.

I have asked, still waiting for a reply.
So that may be the weak link? I'm sweating my stuff when I get started
down this road just based on my experience trying to reserve an N number!
 
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I would say that finding a DAR you can count on is crucial, especially these days.
 
I would say that finding a DAR you can count on is crucial, especially these days.
I agree with Tyger if you are only registering one. Find a DAR with experience.
PRA 31 has 5 builds going on so we are going to try and train SD FSDO in the ways for gyros.

To learn the latest see PRA webpage https://pra.org/default.aspx?p=Rules_N_Regs&i=46
It has the EAA webinar plus the FAA's pages and links to the documents you need.
 
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Sounds like good info if you are somewhere where there is a DAR who will do a gyro. I got a list of about 10 in my area and may have found one willing to do the cert! More later. I can't even get a response from the MIDO!

Seems the FAA has gone away for now!
 
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They say there is no I in TEAM... I don't think there is one in FSDO either. ;)
 
A member/friend called the FAA and ask why the delay in reserving an N #.
He said they are overhelmed and just now processing Augusts requests.
 
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