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Amateur-Built and Experimental Aircraft ATSB TRANSPORT SAFETY REPORT Aviation Research and Analysis Report – AR-2007-043 (1) Final

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Amateur-Built and Experimental Aircraft ATSB TRANSPORT SAFETY REPORT Aviation Research and Analysis Report – AR-2007-043 (1) Final 1: Part aircraft and experimental Amateur-built ATSB TRANSPORT SAFETY REPORT Aviation Research and Analysis Report – AR-2007-043 (1) Final A survey of owners and builders of VH- registered non-factory aircraft and builders of VH- registered of owners A survey Amateur-built and experimental aircraft Part 1: A survey of owners and builders of VH- registered non-factory aircraft AR2007043(1).indd 1 18/06/09 11:46 AM ATSB TRANSPORT SAFETY REPORT Aviation Research and Analysis AR-2007-043(1) Final Amateur-built and experimental aircraft Part 1 A survey of owners and builders of VH- registered non-factory aircraft - i - Published by: Australian Transport Safety Bureau Postal address: PO Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608 Office location: 62 Northbourne Ave, Canberra City, Australian Capital Territory, 2601 Telephone: 1800 020 616, from overseas +61 2 6257 4150 Accident and incident notification: 1800 011 034 (24 hours) Facsimile: 02 6247 3117, from overseas +61 2 6247 3117 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.atsb.gov.au © Commonwealth of Australia 2009. This work is copyright. In the interests of enhancing the value of the information contained in this publication you may copy, download, display, print, reproduce and distribute this material in unaltered form (retaining this notice). However, copyright in the material obtained from other agencies, private individuals or organisations, belongs to those agencies, individuals or organisations. Where you want to use their material you will need to contact them directly. Subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, you must not make any other use of the material in this publication unless you have the permission of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Please direct requests for further information or authorisation to: Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Copyright Law Branch Attorney-General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton, ACT 2600 www.ag.gov.au/cca ISBN and formal report title: see ‘Document retrieval information’ on page v. - ii - CONTENTS THE AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SAFETY BUREAU ................................. vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................. vii ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................ ix 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 What are amateur-built and experimental aircraft? ................... 1 1.1.2 Shifts in the ABE aviation industry ........................................... 5 1.1.3 Previous research ....................................................................... 7 1.2 Objectives ............................................................................................. 8 1.3 Legislation for ABE aircraft ................................................................. 8 1.4 Aircraft associations ........................................................................... 17 1.5 Phases of ABE aircraft ownership ...................................................... 18 1.6 Aims ................................................................................................... 20 1.7 Scope .................................................................................................. 20 2 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................... 21 2.1 Survey distribution and response ........................................................ 21 2.1.1 Survey response rate ................................................................ 21 2.2 Survey design ..................................................................................... 22 2.2.1 Structure ................................................................................... 22 2.2.2 Questions ................................................................................. 22 2.3 Survey user testing .............................................................................. 24 2.4 Survey analysis ................................................................................... 24 2.4.1 General method ........................................................................ 24 2.4.2 Aircraft analysis methods ........................................................ 24 2.4.3 Statistics ................................................................................... 27 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................... 31 3.1 Survey details ..................................................................................... 31 3.2 Respondents ........................................................................................ 32 3.2.1 Age ........................................................................................... 32 3.2.2 Type of pilot licence ................................................................ 32 3.2.3 Flying background ................................................................... 33 3.2.4 Total pilot hours ....................................................................... 34 3.2.5 Pilot hours in the last year ........................................................ 36 - iii - 3.2.6 Type of flying performed in ABE aircraft ............................... 38 3.3 Aircraft ............................................................................................... 38 3.3.1 Aircraft types and models ........................................................ 38 3.3.2 Aircraft components ................................................................ 42 3.3.3 Operating certificate ................................................................ 51 3.3.4 Aircraft age and owned time .................................................... 52 3.4 Reason for purchase ............................................................................ 52 3.5 Building .............................................................................................. 59 3.5.1 Built and flown ABE ............................................................... 59 3.5.2 Type of build process ............................................................... 60 3.5.3 Build modifications.................................................................. 62 3.5.4 Build challenges ....................................................................... 65 3.5.5 Build resources ........................................................................ 70 3.5.6 Flying activities during construction ....................................... 77 3.6 Test flight ............................................................................................ 78 3.6.2 Initial test flights ...................................................................... 83 3.6.3 Post-test flight evaluation ........................................................ 85 3.7 Aircraft building cost .......................................................................... 88 3.8 Second-hand aircraft ........................................................................... 88 3.9 Transition training .............................................................................. 90 3.9.1 Access and usefulness .............................................................. 91 3.9.2 Aircraft and training ................................................................. 92 3.9.3 Effect of pilot type, operation type and flying activity ............ 93 3.9.4 Aircraft performance and training ........................................... 96 3.9.5 When transition training was not undertaken ........................ 100 3.9.6 Bias and transition training .................................................... 101 3.10 Maintenance ..................................................................................... 101 3.10.1 Airframe maintenance ............................................................ 104 3.10.2 Engine maintenance ............................................................... 105 3.10.3 Avionics maintenance ............................................................ 106 3.10.4 Maintenance comments ......................................................... 107 4 CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................... 109 5 REFERENCES ............................................................................................ 111 APPENDIX A: SOURCES AND SUBMISSIONS ....................................... 117 APPENDIX B: SURVEY ............................................................................... 118 APPENDIX C: TABLES OF RESPONSES ................................................. 126 - iv - DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL INFORMATION Report No. Publication date No. of pages ISBN AR-2007-043 June 2009 139 978-1-921602-73-3 Publication title Amateur-built and experimental aircraft. Part 1: A survey of owners and builders of VH- registered non-factory aircraft Author(s) Stanton, D.R. Taylor, R.P. Prepared By Reference Number Australian Transport Safety Bureau INFRA-08548 PO Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608 Australia www.atsb.gov.au Acknowledgements Thank you to the ABE owners who completed this survey Mr Paul Halliday, Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics Mr Graham Malcolm, CEO Australian National Aviation Museum, Moorabbin Mr Keith Meggs DFM, Aviation Historical Society of Australia Mr John Hopton, Aviation
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