Flight Test Areas

For most of you that have been flying your exempted ultralight trainer you will not need to accomplish phase I flight testing.  However this must be established by a certain amount to time in the aircraft records, better known as an aircraft logbook.  Personal logbooks will not be useful for this.  The recommended time for LSA flight testing is 5 hours.  However the airworthiness inspector may assign more time if he/she feels that the aircraft needs that time to determine safe operating characteristics.
On the program letter you will be submitting to the FAA to state "Your Experiment" you will need to list a proposed flight test area.  You will need this even if you have previous flown your aircraft because you might want to make a major change to you aircraft.  So what constitutes a major change?  This would be something like changing the wing from a 17.5 meter wing to a 13.5 meter.  Or for a PPC going from an APCO 500 to a PD 500.  Or maybe you change the engine size and go from a 503 to a 582.  Anything that may change the way the aircraft flys would be a major change.  Changing  the oil is not a major change, nor would changing the tires be.   If you make a major change you would then need to note in the aircraft logbook that the change was made, note that the aircraft is in Phase I flight test condition and fly 5 hours with only the PIC in the aircraft to test the modification.  After the 5 hours if the aircraft flys safely you may then sign it back into Phase II condition for continued flight and may then again take passengers.  

That is the reason you must request a flight test area on your program letter.  This can be radius of 15-20 or so miles from an airport, or it may be an area away from an airport outlined on a copy of a sectional chart.  The requirements of the flight test area are that it can not be over densely populated areas or in congested airways.  So if the airport you are going to be operating from has this around it you must have another area.  If there is a safe corridor from the airport to your requested area then it may be approved.  You might fly from a simple field out in the country.  If so list then outline the area on a copy of a sectional chart and on the program letter by Latitude and Longitude. 

Back to Airworthiness Info       Home