Repairman Certificate

hamer

hamer

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jun 15, 2018
Messages
266
Location
SoCal
Display Name
Display name:
hamer
If I'm taking over a kit from someone, can I still get the repairman certificate? The FAA just says you can get it if you "built the majority of the aircraft." No hard numbers.

Anyone have any experience in this?
 
hamer said:
If I'm taking over a kit from someone, can I still get the repairman certificate? The FAA just says you can get it if you "built the majority of the aircraft." No hard numbers.

Anyone have any experience in this?
Click to expand...

My RV-6 came to me as a second hand kit. I had no problem getting the repairman's certificate when I finished it.
 
hamer said:
can I still get the repairman certificate?
Click to expand...
Call your local FSDO and get the 411. The magic number is 51% built by you and can include a group of "friends."
 
Yes. I bought a partially completed kit, did not build 51% and still got the repairman certificate. The plane needs to be built 51% by amatures. Even if you only build 10% yourself you can still apply for the R.C..

Having photos and build records from the previous builders can be important to demonstrate it was amature built.

The FSDO in Oakland barely looked at my documentation before they handed me my RC.
 
Thanks everyone, I think I should be okay.
 
Lndwarrior said:
Yes. I bought a partially completed kit, did not build 51% and still got the repairman certificate. The plane needs to be built 51% by amatures. Even if you only build 10% yourself you can still apply for the R.C..
Click to expand...
You can definitely apply. From what I understand, whether or not you get it can depend on the individual doing the inspection. That's not to say they won't issue it in most cases, but it is to say that it is not automatically issued to anyone with a completed plane who applies. Wouldn't hurt to call your FSDO, tell them how completed the kit you're considering is now and ask how they'll feel about it.
 
Refer to FAA Order 8900.1 Volume 5, Chapter 5, Section 5. It states in part:

5-1219 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
A. Residency and Age. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or an individual admitted for permanent residence in the United States. The applicant must also be at least 18 years of age, and the primary builder of the aircraft.
1) When a club, school, or partnership builds an aircraft, the FAA considers only one individual (such as the class instructor or designated project leader) for issuance of a Repairman Certificate for that aircraft.
2) An individual working alone who applies for a Repairman Certificate must build the majority of the aircraft in order to be eligible for the certificate.

The above is what the ASI will be using when he makes his decision. So if you are an individual who takes over a partially built kit that is more than 50% complete then you might be denied the repairman certificate. And the higher the level of completion when you take over, the less likely you will get the certificate. In other words, don't expect that by simply installing the prop on an otherwise completed project that you will be qualified for the repairman certificate.

Still, as long as the plane meets the 51% rule of amateur built, you will get the airworthiness certificate and be able to do all of your own maintenance but will just need an A&P for the annual condition inspection which he will most likely accept your owner assistance on. So your maintenance costs will still be very reasonable. Nothing to fret about.
 
Do you have a repairman's certificate? I figure this topic is a lot like the E-AB discussions where guys with no actual experience quote chapter and verse while the guys who've done it have very different takes on the process.

A few months ago I didn't plan to apply for my RC but now with a hanger my plans have changed. I'll apply as soon as I get home from the current trip. I'd like to hear some experience reports about the application process.
 
Stewartb said:
I'd like to hear some experience reports about the application process.
Click to expand...

Mine was painless. The DAR and I filled out the application and he mailed it in. The certificate showed up in the mail a while later. Today, I think you have to go to the MIDO (FSDO?) to apply for the certificate, which adds an unnecessary burden to everyone involved. Realistically, it comes down to whether you can convince the person in the position of authority that you actually built the thing. I've never had the impression that they try to split hairs and determine if you built 51%, 49%, or 37% of the thing.
 
Last edited:
I have an airworthiness cert backed up by worksheets that say I built mine, so no worries there. What’s the current process? What happens after I submit an application? Am I interviewed?
 
I had to go in for an interview with the Oakland FSDO for mine. It was a bit of a joke and took maybe 10 minutes. Very few questions. Just looked at my log for about one minute and that was it. This was 2 years ago.

I spend a lot of time on the RV forum. From my reading there the FSDO experience can very widely. In a few cases they have staff that know a lot about homebuilding, and it many cases, almost nothing, like mine.
 
Last edited:
Stewartb said:
I'd like to hear some experience reports about the application process.
Click to expand...

I did mine at Sun-n-Fun. Had an appt. with the Orlando FSDO, but was able to walk in to the FAA office at SnF and do it right there. The guy who did mine was an idiot. Or maybe it was his first day. Looking through my build log the only thing he was interested in was how many pictures I had with me in it (about 10 out of hundreds). I explained that I built it alone so not many pictures of me. He called in someone else and it got signed off.

On the way out I asked another inspector if there was a number of pictures with the builder in them that they wanted so I could let other builders know. She looked at me like I had a third eyeball. She said that she could care less about pictures with the builder in them. She said that she just opens the build log to a random page and asks the builder to explain that part of the build. Said that after doing that two three times, she could tell if the person knew what the build was about.

So it all depends on who you're dealing with.
 
If my son and I built it, but only one of us can get the Repairman Cert, right? Or both of us can get the Repairman?
 
Does the FAA publish standards for documenting a build, or is totally up to the inspector as to what is needed to prove eligibility for the Repairman’s Certificate?
 
ateamer said:
Does the FAA publish standards for documenting a build, or is totally up to the inspector as to what is needed to prove eligibility for the Repairman’s Certificate?
Click to expand...
No.

And if you ask the FSDO, the person who tells you what they want could be different than the person you present your documentation to.

Best thing is to over document your build. Better too much than not enough.
 
ateamer said:
Does the FAA publish standards for documenting a build, or is totally up to the inspector as to what is needed to prove eligibility for the Repairman’s Certificate?
Click to expand...

Have you read AC 20-27G? It does a pretty good job of explaining what the ASI will be looking for and what documentation will support your application.
 
ateamer said:
Does the FAA publish standards for documenting a build, or is totally up to the inspector as to what is needed to prove eligibility for the Repairman’s Certificate?
Click to expand...

I didn't look at the AC above (built mine as an A&P) but most have simply initialed and dated the tasks in the build manual and taken pictures along the way to prove they did the work. There is also a KitLog website that helps keep it all organized (for a fee).
 
The only builder log I have is pictures on a Smugmug web album. About 2/3 of the pictures have a brief caption. I have no love or time for writing a diary. Pictures do the job nicely. I tried a couple of builder log apps including Kitlog. Hated them. Discovered Smugmug. Love it.

I have an appointment with the FAA inspector regarding my repairman cert later this morning. The only thing he asked me to bring was my W&B as he discovered an error while reviewing my file. I double checked and found the error. Not a big change but I'll present a corrected W&B when we meet. News at eleven!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top