[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47642-47643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22339]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Issuance of Final Report of the 2008 Amateur-Built Aircraft 
Aviation Rulemaking Committee.

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
SUMMARY: This notice announces the issuance of the final report of the 
2008 Amateur-Built Aircraft Aviation Rulemaking Committee (2008 ARC). 
The report provides the 2008 ARC's recommendations regarding the 
disposition of (1) public comments received on the proposed changes to 
Order 8130.2F and AC 20-27G; (2) the definition of ``fabrication'' as 
it differs from ``assembly'' within the scope of Title 14, Code of 
Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 21, Certification Procedures for 
Products and Parts, Sec.  21.191(g), Operating amateur-built aircraft; 
and (3) a process to minimize the impact of the proposed policy on 
amateur-built kits evaluated by the FAA before February 15, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank P. Paskiewicz, Manager, 
Production and Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service, 
AIR-200, Federal Aviation Administration, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., 5th 
Floor, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20024; telephone number: (202) 385-
6346. A copy of the final report may be obtained by accessing the FAA's 
Web site at http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/ultralights/amateur_built/media/ARC_FINAL_2008_report.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On February 14, 2008, the 2006 Amateur-Built Aircraft Aviation 
Rulemaking Committee (ARC) published its Final Report. This report 
found that FAA directives setting policy for amateur-built aircraft 
``do not adequately address the issue of commercial assistance,'' 
determined that the ``aircraft kit evaluation process is not 
standardized,'' and cited the need for additional training for 
inspectors to ``fully understand the FAA's expectations when 
determining an aircraft's eligibility for an amateur-built 
certificate.'' Based on the ARC's report, the FAA published a notice in 
the Federal Register on February 15, 2008,\1\ temporarily suspending 
amateur-built aircraft kit evaluations. The FAA decided that its 
directives governing the amateur-built aircraft sector required review 
and revision.
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    \1\ Notice of Temporary Suspension of Amateur-Built Aircraft Kit 
Evaluations Previously Conducted by the Federal Aviation 
Administration, Aircraft Certification Service (73 FR 8926, February 
15, 2008).
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    Subsequently, the FAA published a notice in the Federal Register on 
July 15, 2008, announcing proposed changes to, and seeking public 
comments on (1) FAA Order 8130.2F, Airworthiness Certification of 
Aircraft and Related Products, Chapter 4, Special Airworthiness 
Certification, Section 9, Experimental Amateur-Built Airworthiness 
Certifications; and (2) AC 20-27G, Certification and Operation of 
Amateur-Built Aircraft.\2\ The original comment period opened on July 
15, 2008, and closed on August 15, 2008.
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    \2\ Notification of Policy Revisions, and Requests for Comments 
on the Percentage of Fabrication and Assembly that Must Be Completed 
by an Amateur Builder to Obtain an Experimental Airworthiness 
Certificate for an Amateur-Built Aircraft (73 FR 40652, July 15, 
2008).
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    Upon request, the FAA extended the comment period to September 30, 
2008,\3\ and then reopened the comment period from October 31, 2008, 
through December 15, 2008.\4\
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    \3\ See Notification of Policy Revisions, and Requests for 
Comments on the Percentage of Fabrication and Assembly That Must Be 
Completed by an Amateur Builder to Obtain an Experimental 
Airworthiness Certificate for an Amateur-Built Aircraft; Extension 
of Comment Period (73 FR 43278, July 24, 2008).
    \4\ The FAA reopened the comment period because the proposed 
Order 8130.2F and AC 20-27G had been inadvertently removed from the 
FAA Web site during the comment period. (See 73 FR 65007, October 
31, 2008.)
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    On November 4, 2008, the Amateur-Built ARC was rechartered with 
Order 1110.143A, Amateur-Built Aircraft Aviation Rulemaking Committee 
to advise the FAA on issues concerning disposition of the public 
comments, the enhanced definition of the term ``fabrication'' and 
grandfathering of FAA-listed amateur-built aircraft kits.
    The 2008 ARC met in Washington, DC on January 27 through 29, 2009, 
to consider the items listed above; the ARC also--
    <bullet> Reevaluated the 20/20/11 requirement; \5\
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    \5\ 20/20/11 was an FAA proposal requiring an amateur builder to 
fabricate a minimum 20 percent of an aircraft and assemble a minimum 
of 20 percent of the aircraft.
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    <bullet> Evaluated an updated FAA Form 8000-38, Fabrication/
Assembly Operation Checklist;
    <bullet> Discussed the creation of a National Kit Evaluation Team, 
consisting of FAA

[[Page 47643]]

Aviation Safety Inspectors, to establish a standardized aircraft kit 
evaluation process; and
    <bullet> Discussed the conversion of type-certificated aircraft 
into amateur-built aircraft.
    The FAA will take the 2008 ARC's recommendations into consideration 
in the formulation of the final revisions to FAA Order 8130.2F, and AC 
20-27G.

    Dated: September 11, 2009.
Frank P. Paskiewicz,
Manager, Production and Airworthiness Division.
[FR Doc. E9-22339 Filed 9-15-09; 8:45 am]
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