ahypnoz
Pre-takeoff checklist
In my opinion, after 20 Years all Certified Airplanes should be placed under the FAA experimental category. In reality that is what they are now, the original manufacturer usually does not want anything to do with these antique aircraft and/or they have stopped producing that make and model.
Some would argue that there is an increase in safety and consistency in build when one purchases a certified aircraft. I would argue that you are buying a 20 year aircraft and any real consistency in that make and model ended 10 years ago after they were originally built.
These legacy aircraft have fallen significantly behind on common safety measures, modern day electronics that the experimental aircraft all have. The FAA has tried to address this, but is falling further and further behind. I believe to further reduce the regulatory burden, cost and improve overall aircraft safety as well as to ease the FAA administration of their rules and regulations it would be an easy fix.
I also believe that all STC should be automatically placed in the public domain after 20 years. Just like the drug companies have 14 years before the generic drugs come out to make a profit, the same should be for the STC. Often the original STC holder and/or their estate has lost interest or have passed on and thus it becomes for all intentional purpose lost.
To just reduce the cost of experimental vs certified electronics, it would become an big safety bonus. The certified electronics are often dumbed down to make them less safe and useful.
An example from Garmin:
The Garmin G5 for experimental and light sport aircraft is loaded with capabilities. It can be used as a standalone primary or backup flight display and can toggle between two screens – one displaying attitude, airspeed, altitude, barometric pressure, turn coordination (plus ground speed and ground track if GPS equipped), the second displaying a horizontal situation indicator. The G5 for experimental can also integrate with other EFIS’ such as the G3X and G3X Touch flight displays, and has optional autopilot capability.
Where the G5 for experimental benefits from a broad range of capabilities, the G5 for certified was designed for two specific purposes – either as an attitude indicator or turn and bank coordinator (one G5 cannot replace both the attitude indicator and the turn coordinator in a traditional six-pack). In order to satisfy the FAA certification requirements, new software needed to be created for the G5 that does not include the HSI/Attitude display toggle capability that the experimental version boasts. Instead, since this unit was intended to replace the vacuum driven attitude indicators and turn coordinators, the software needed to be designed for those specific purposes.
This is just one example, but there are mechanical ones as well, led bulbs vs incandescent bulbs, etc.
What do you think the advantages of a 20 year old certified aircraft holds over an experimental aircraft?
Some would argue that there is an increase in safety and consistency in build when one purchases a certified aircraft. I would argue that you are buying a 20 year aircraft and any real consistency in that make and model ended 10 years ago after they were originally built.
These legacy aircraft have fallen significantly behind on common safety measures, modern day electronics that the experimental aircraft all have. The FAA has tried to address this, but is falling further and further behind. I believe to further reduce the regulatory burden, cost and improve overall aircraft safety as well as to ease the FAA administration of their rules and regulations it would be an easy fix.
I also believe that all STC should be automatically placed in the public domain after 20 years. Just like the drug companies have 14 years before the generic drugs come out to make a profit, the same should be for the STC. Often the original STC holder and/or their estate has lost interest or have passed on and thus it becomes for all intentional purpose lost.
To just reduce the cost of experimental vs certified electronics, it would become an big safety bonus. The certified electronics are often dumbed down to make them less safe and useful.
An example from Garmin:
The Garmin G5 for experimental and light sport aircraft is loaded with capabilities. It can be used as a standalone primary or backup flight display and can toggle between two screens – one displaying attitude, airspeed, altitude, barometric pressure, turn coordination (plus ground speed and ground track if GPS equipped), the second displaying a horizontal situation indicator. The G5 for experimental can also integrate with other EFIS’ such as the G3X and G3X Touch flight displays, and has optional autopilot capability.
Where the G5 for experimental benefits from a broad range of capabilities, the G5 for certified was designed for two specific purposes – either as an attitude indicator or turn and bank coordinator (one G5 cannot replace both the attitude indicator and the turn coordinator in a traditional six-pack). In order to satisfy the FAA certification requirements, new software needed to be created for the G5 that does not include the HSI/Attitude display toggle capability that the experimental version boasts. Instead, since this unit was intended to replace the vacuum driven attitude indicators and turn coordinators, the software needed to be designed for those specific purposes.
This is just one example, but there are mechanical ones as well, led bulbs vs incandescent bulbs, etc.
What do you think the advantages of a 20 year old certified aircraft holds over an experimental aircraft?
