E-LSA Registration

[Av8r3400]

If I understand things correctly....once it has been converted to the ESLA catagory does that not take it out of the catagory where the owner can take the 16 hour class to be able to sign off his own work?

All this stuff can get quite confusing. Isn't the SLSA the only catagory that a person can get a repairmans certificate, besides the EAB catagory of course, but that is for the original builder?
From my understanding the only people that can get this 'certificate' are for the SLSA planes and they have to be built exactly like the factory built/sold versions. Maybe there are exceptions, like getting a factory authorized change but this catagory seems quite restrictive. The benefit to the catagory is its ability to be used for rental/training, am I correct?

Besides the EAB catagory of course, but that is for the original builder.

Am I totally confused? Most likely!

The E-LSA certificated plane is the one that the 16 hour class applies, but only to a qualifying E-LSA aircraft that you own. (My Yellow plane is E-LSA and I have the inspector's license for it) With the 16 hour class you can sign off all repairs and inspections required on the aircraft you are licensed to work on.

S-LSA certificated planes would require the 120 hour Light Sport Repairman's certificate. Which would then allow you to work on any S-LSA or E-LSA aircraft.

[Paul Z]

The E-LSA certificated plane is the one that the 16 hour class applies, but only to a qualifying E-LSA aircraft that you own. (My Yellow plane is E-LSA and I have the inspector's license for it) With the 16 hour class you can sign off all repairs and inspections required on the aircraft you are licensed to work on.

S-LSA certificated planes would require the 120 hour Light Sport Repairman's certificate. Which would then allow you to work on any S-LSA or E-LSA aircraft.

Is your E-LSA an Experimental Light Sport Capable or a true E-LSA? There is a difference. If it is registered as an Experimental, I would check with your DAR to make sure you can inspect it with 16 class.

[Av8r3400]

My plane was registered during the open window back in 2007. This was when all the "fat" ultralights got registered as E-LSA.

This makes it a true E-LSA, not only an E-AB, Light Sport Qualifying.

The really stupid part of this whole scenario is that I built more of the Mangy Fox than the original builder did and I still have to hire an A&P to sign off her annual condition inspection. Where after a short 16 hour class, I'm legal to sign off my other plane…

[HighWing]

Larry,
When I registered my recent IV, I checked the box "Built from Miscellaneous Parts". Couldn't you have re-registered Mangy that way and applied for a new AWC giving you authorization for the Repairman Certificate? Though mine was a purchased - previously started - Denney kit, I felt "Miscellaneous" fit as I had added almost as many mods as you had to the basic kit. My motivation for going this way were the hoops required to provide the paper trail back to the kit manufacturer. I try to be pretty straight arrow in dealing with the world, but when facing up against "stupid" there just might be a legal way. In my case, there would have to be the AW Inspection anyway, but I think in your case by additing that step you would then be the registered manufacturer and it likely would have allowed for the RM card.

[Av8r3400]

I split this off to prevent thread drift from the original thread.

Yes, Lowell, I probably could have done the built from parts thing on the Mangy.

Three reasons I didn't:

1. Intent. I bought the Mangy as a flying airplane and I took it apart and rebuilt it. To the letter of intent I would not have been in compliance. I probably could have still done it, exploiting the grey area of the law, but I really didn't want to.

2. Taxes. I paid a butt-load of tax to register the Mangy as an airplane and would have lost all of that, paying again for the value of then"parts" I "bought" when doing the re-register of the "new" airplane.

3. Inspections. I have a good A&P friend that is into experimentals and will work with me doing the annual condition inspections. Plus, I am not so cocky that I don't mind a second set of knowledgeable eyes look at my plane every year.


Now I only have 5 hours of phase 1 instead of 40, too...