Every aircraft registered with the FAA (N-numbered) has an Airworthiness Certificate of some kind. The three types of Airworthiness certificates are Standard, Special, and Experimental.
Standard applies to factory-built aircraft like Cessnas and Boeings. They are built to an FAA-approved design with FAA oversight of the producer’s quality control system. No changes are allowed to the aircraft without manufacturer or FAA approval. These aircraft undergo millions of dollars worth of testing to earn their Standard Airworthiness Certificates. These aircraft can be rented and used commercially, carrying passengers and cargo for hire.
Special applies to factory-built aircraft in the Light Sport realm, that are produced to an FAA-accepted standard, but do not have direct FAA oversight of production and quality control. These aircraft can be rented but are not used to carry passengers and cargo for hire. They can be rented to a person for their flight training, but not used for point to point transportation like an airline.
Experimental is a broad category that applies to any aircraft that never earned a Standard or Special airworthiness certificate. It covers everything from home-built aircraft to huge warbirds and fighter jets. Many interesting aircraft on display and performing at airshows carry the Experimental airworthiness certificate. Sleek new innovative aircraft are typically Experimental as they are being developed and tested. After they are proven and have sufficient market demand, their manufacturer may put together a test program to earn Special or Standard airworthiness certificates.
Most older trikes are Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (ELSA). When the FAA started the Sport Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft regulations in 2006, they had a program to get these previously unregistered aircraft into the FAA N-number system. Large numbers of trikes and other light aircraft became registered with the FAA as Experimental Light Sport aircraft. The FAA issued them Airworthiness Certificates, Operating Limitations and N-numbers just like all other FAA-registered aircraft have.
Aircraft manufacturers register the new aircraft we build as Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA). To keep the Special Airworthiness Certificate, the aircraft must stay in its factory configuration and be professionally maintained. No changes or modifications are allowed without factory approval. An SLSA can be used for hire. An owner can rent the SLSA aircraft to other pilots. An instructor or flight school can rent the SLSA to their students. When used for hire, the SLSA aircraft must have a condition inspection every 100 flight hours, same as other aircraft used commercially.
Aircraft manufacturers can also produce new aircraft with Experimental Airworthiness Certificates. We produce the aircraft as an SLSA but then exchange the Special airworthiness certificate for an Experimental certificate. An ELSA aircraft can be modified and maintained by the owner but cannot be rented to others. If you want the flexibility of doing your own maintenance, adding accessories and modifications whenever you want without outside approval, choose the Experimental airworthiness certificate.
I’m interested in information on your 2 place 912 (100hp). Such info as, wait time, from the date of order to delivery, options (instrumentation/wing size, pricing.
My intention is for personal use and possibly giving aerial tours.
Thank you.
On the new ones we use 20 square meter wings. We always have new ones in production, and delivery time just depends on how many orders are ahead of yours in the production sequence. At the moment we have a red one quickly available, and other colors within a month. Look for an email from mike@AirtimeAircraft.com. It contains a current price list.
I would not say, every N numbered aircraft has some type of airworthiness certificate.
I have an N number. And I do not have an airworthiness certificate. Since I registered an ultralight aircraft I’m not required to have an air Worthy certificate.
Hi Billy
I think your understanding is incorrect, unless my understanding is incorrect. My understanding is that every N-numbered aircraft needs an Airworthiness Certificate to be legal to fly.
Along with the Airworthiness Certificate the FAA issues a set of Operating Limitations that details what you can and cannot legally do with the aircraft. Sometimes things like carrying passengers for hire and parachute jumping are excluded from what is allowed for Experimental aircraft.
If a flying machine meets the FAA definition of ultralight (spelled out in 14 CFR Part 103) then that ultralight air vehicle does not need an N number or Airworthiness Certificate, or any FAA approval at all. But if the flying machine does not meet ALL the criteria for ultralight, it needs an N number, and an Airworthiness Certificate, and Operating Limitations, and a certificated pilot to fly it. No exceptions that I know of.
I am considering a factory-built 2007 Zenith CH601XL SLSA.
Then it was reclassified to ELSA. Why? Maybe was it ‘coz panel was upgraded with Garmin avionics?
Hi Steve
All it takes is the owner to request the reclassification from SLSA to ELSA. The owner can do it for any reason and doesn’t need to explain what their reason is. Some possible reasons would be to be able to make modifications without needing manufacturing approval, or the ability to do their own work on it, or install their own avionics etc.
So I hope you can help me on this one. I have a 96′ Sabre two seater manufactured trike that my friend never registered and he never made the 2010 FFA deadline. He bought it new but Sabre went out of business in 98′ The plane needs to be registered as a
as a SLSA . The plane only has less than 60 hours on it and is in excellent shape. My question is what rout can I take to get it registered. Thanks. John.
You could get it registered as an Experimental, but not possible to get it registered as a Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA). SLSA are made in accordance with the ASTM standards for Light Sport Aircraft, and a 1996 model was made well before those standards existed. To get FAA approval as a manufacturer of SLSA, a company needs to have an approved Quality Control system in place and be able to vouch that the SLSA aircraft was made in accordance with that Quality Control system. So your best bet is to get that trike N-numbered as an Experimental, sell it to someone who can enjoy it, then buy the SLSA trike that suits your need. I assume you want SLSA so you can provide paid flight instruction or intro flights?