HOW TO GET YOUR AIRCRAFT READY FOR SPORT PILOT*
(page updated Feb 2008)

If the FAA officially received your registration card before Jan 31, 2008, you have until Jan of 2010 to receive your Airworthiness Certificate.
There's a few hoops to jump through, but it's all doable. It's a good deal.
If you have the registration card for your aircraft, you'll need to apply for one of the extensions/exemptions granted to either
the EAA or the ASC.

email amy at wileywales dot com

This is what the registration hard card looks like: (this is what you needed to receive by Jan 31, 2008).

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By this stage, you're completed 1-3. Good job.
4. Placard your aircraft with at least but not limited to, the following:

A. Passenger warning-This aircraft is an Experimental Light Sport Aircraft and does not comply with Federal safety regulations for standard aircraft.

B. DATA Plate - 3 things ENGRAVED on a fireproof plate: 1. Manufacturer's name (Six Chuter), 2. Model type (Legend), and 3. Serial no. (XL1234).

C. Experimental placard in 2" letters near cockpit cabin door, where pilot and passengers can see it while getting into the a/c.

D. "N" number in 3 inch roman characters with spacing and width restrictions (see FAR part 45). Must be horizontal and diametrically opposed (both sides of the ppc) on a structural member of the a/c or a plate that is made a permanent part of a/c.

E. Gas and oil types, quantities. All buttons and switches and controls marked as to what they are and how to work them.
5. Prepare a weight and balance (loading) for your PPC. See my weight and balance sheet. You will keep a w&b in the a/c also.

6. Bring a Program letter too. This is your letter to the FAA stating what your experiment is and how you intend to use it.

7. Bring your placarded ppc or trike, your registration, an application for airworthiness (not yet filled out-I'll help you do it), your weight and balance sheet, and your program letter to the DAR for inspection. With the PPC or trike you should have: maintenance log, and condition inspection completed the day before you get here (then I can set your "annual" one year from "inspection date"), and the assembly manual if you have one (not mandatory).
DO NOT skip this step! Most people come to me without a weight and balance or a program letter, then I have to make some for them... no wonder it costs money to get an inspection! I charge $350 (plus expenses if I travel) though less if you come to Pleasant View and have your paperwork done.

8. I will issue an airworthiness certificate (original-and give it to you immediately, provided the a/c IS airworthy)! I'll also issue your OPERATING LIMITATIONS at that time. These limitations are PART of the airworthiness certificate and must be in the a/c when you fly (along with the registration and weight and balance and AW-certificate). See a copy of ALL possible limitations HERE. Not all will be assigned to you (like aerobatics, towing or instruction issues). We will have to discuss them, together, so you let me know your plans and which limitations would work best for you and your aircraft.

See trikes at the bottom of the page.
Dash board of the PC2000. It reads the oil info upper left. Then because we should announce "Experimental 566 alpha whiskey" I have that placarded as well. Then I have my max temps marked but the red light on the EIS functions this way so that can be the indicator. I have a RPM over the rpms and water temp over the space where water temp reads, etc. My mags are called mag 1 and mag 2 and On is up and OFF is down. My key turns to strobe first, then start. I have the position lights/headlight switch marked and my throttle which you can't see in this picture.
Data Plate of the Legend. Only needs to include the Manufacturer's name (Six Chuter), model name (Legend), and serial no.

When I filled out the registration, I wrote the exact information here, on the form so that the registration card and the data plate match.
Experimental Placard of the PC2000. Simple but effective. The one that came in the EAA kit was similar, it is on the 6C. I did this one on my computer and then laminated it, then used double sided sticky tape on a metal plate that is bolted onto the pylon (using existing holes)
of the a/c.
Lines secured on the PC2000. These are called standoffs and I used plastic ties, and small pieces of clear tubing (or blue) to be the stand off. It looks really NEAT and tidy.

Additional notes:

• Either 2 or 4 bolts in the exhaust manifold are OK.
• Keep wires from vibrating against other parts of the aircraft.
• Ensure that your fuel lines (including the vent) are not pinched and have good flow.
• Fuel line clamps--- most anything is acceptable, safety wire, if it's done well, plastic ties are ok. Hose clamps are good, if they fit... I've seen some that don't clamp down and they allow air into the system. Each type of safety has it's own issue that needs to be accounted for.

If it's in your manufacturer's assembly manual, then it's ok.
Side view of the PC2000. N number plate is an old mile marker sign from the salvage yard. My handy-dandy airworthiness pocket, velcroed to the seat has my PINK special airworthiness cert in it, as well as weight and balance, op limits and registration. Remember AROW from the written test?

A-Airworthiness Certificate
R-Registration Card
O- Operating Limits(given to you by the DAR or Inspector)
W-Weight and balance.
Passenger warning on my crossbar between frontal bars.
Side view of the 6C legend with N number, and you can barely see the Experimental and the airworthiness pocket with pink AW Certificate is behind the N number ...

The N number must be on both sides of the aircraft. NOT hidden by another bar in front of it. Easily read from the ground or in the air. 3 inches tall, and 2 inches wide (except a 1 can be narrower and a W will be wider etc) with some space in between numbers so each stands out. The color should contrast with the background.

The N number should be mounted HORIZONTALLY.

At this time I have NO LEEWAY with this... the above information is true and correct. Please have a 3" N number on your aircraft!!! This is HOW IT IS!

The N number on a 1996 Buckeye. Clean, 3" numbers, nice contrasting background color.

BTW... The N number CAN be LARGER than 3" figures!
Passenger warning on the back of the front seat on - 6C legend. It is at the passengers knees, but readable when they get in, and the seat is forward.
Front view of the 6C legend Experimental Placard. This is the placard that came with the EAA kit. I tried vinyl letters from a package and they didn't seem wide enough to read well but there isn't a rule about the width of the letters on the EXPERIMENTAL.
Another way to mount your n number plate.
There is 2-sided sticky tape, under the pipe clamps to keep the whole thing from sliding around the bar. Clean and acceptable.
N number plate from the outside. My number required 13" plus I had the position lights mounted on this bar, on the outside. So I couldn't use this system. But I like it.

The N numbers MUST be AT least 3 inches tall, and 2/3 of 3 inches wide (2") except for numbers like ONE which could be thinner and W which is wider. You also need some space between so the characters don't run together. They MUST be horizontally mounted on the a/c.
PHASE ONE FLIGHT TESTING-WHAT IS IT?!

Part of your operating limits which are PART of the airworthiness certificate and are assigned by the DAR or FAA Inspector.

 PHASE ONE FLIGHT TESTING-This is a hold over from Amateur-Built Experimental aircraft. When the builder of an AB Experimental applied for their airworthiness certificate, they had NEVER been in the air. NO flight time on their meter. SO, the FAA decided they 'd better take it out for a flight and NOT endanger the non-flying public. So they made a rule that during this "testing out" time, that the plane wouldn't be flown anywhere like congested areas, or other dangerous areas. So, in the operating limits that are attached to your airworthiness cert, a safe, uncongested area is delineated for the flight testing so that you and your FSDO are aware of it, and use it for all your flight testing. NOW... IF your maintenance logs are current, and you've kept your machine in an airworthy condition (like you've done an annual inspection every year that the PPC has been flying) then your first phase one flight test, can be considered completed because of your past hours. If you don't have maintenance records, or your PPC is new, then you will be assigned AT LEAST 5 hours of flight test time. No big deal, really.

Also, if you change the wing on your PPC, or make any other major changes, then you, as Owner / Operator, make a note in the aircraft maintenance log about the change; flight test the PPC, then sign yourself out of phase one flight testing, and into phase 2, which is flying for your recreational enjoyment.

Als
This looks like a good way to put the N numbers on the trike... if you don't wanna get rid of the logo on the gas tank, which would be the IDEAL placement for your N numbers.

The N-numbers under the tank are OK IF you do not need to bend over to read them while the trike is on the tarmac (as shown). The number must be readable from both sides of the aircraft.

I wrote in the EXPERIMENTAL on the sway bar. It will work there, or down the pylon or mast.

Placarding is NOT OK ON THE WING except for the wing info/data plate!
Advanced maneuvers for Sport Pilot Check ride --- Powered Parachute.
(A PDF file to download)