Many builders think that because I am a DAR (Designated Airworthiness Inspector) I can do my own airworthiness inspections. But that is not the case. I must go through the same process as everyone else, and I am OK with that. I am a firm believer that you can’t ever have too many eyes on an aircraft. Ever. So, for those of you who are building, I am going to walk you through the process.
It’s always a good idea to introduce yourself to the DAR sometime during the building process. No, it’s not required, as there are no longer any mandatory inspections during the construction. The DAR can give you advice on how to prepare for the inspection. You should also consider ordering the EAA Amateur-Built Certification kit, which will take you through the whole process.
Hopefully, you will have also had a few visits from your local Technical Counselor. I recommend a visit as you are getting started, followed by one when doing the engine and the avionics. Many of the kits are much more of an assembly process these days, which means there’s not always a complete understanding of how various systems work.
A recent inspection I did provides a good example. The builder had installed two electronic ignition systems. I noticed that the manifold pressure fittings on the units were capped off, with no connection to the intake manifold of the engine. It took some explaining to convince the builder that the caps needed to come off and hoses needed to be hooked from each ignition unit to the engine intake system. The next day he sent me a note saying he had misunderstood the installation presentation at AirVenture.
In my case, this was my twelfth aircraft build, so while I didn’t have any Tech Counselor visits, the local Designated Mechanic Examiner did stop by more than once to look things over. Many other builders stopped by during the course of the project as well, including the DAR who had licensed my RV-10, Vern Darley. There aren’t too many DARs around who can license rotary wing aircraft. I have that function code, but of course I couldn’t do my own. Having Vern in the loop early on allowed him time to get that function code added to his privileges.
First There’s the Paperwork
When I started the project I reserved an N-number. It’s an easy process now using the FAA’s website. Basically, you can search for available N-numbers and then specify your top five choices. You usually get an answer back soon. Once granted, reserved N-numbers are yours for a year and then need to be renewed annually.
Keep in mind the N-number is only reserved. It is not assigned. You must tell the FAA when you want that done. In most states it is best to wait until you are near the end of the project, as there may be tax implications. To get it assigned you have to submit an Application for Registration, FAA form 8050-1. You will also need a bill of sale from the kit manufacturer or the person from whom you purchased the kit. There are other documents required if you are placing the aircraft in an LLC or other entity. The FAA has been really good with getting new Experimental/Amateur-Built registrations completed within about two weeks, but be sure to allow yourself plenty of time, as the registration must be completed prior to issuance of an Airworthiness Certificate.
The next step is to complete the Statement of Eligibility, FAA form 8130-12. This document must be notarized.
There are a few other documents that you will need to create, such as the Weight and Balance for your aircraft. Usually, the FAA likes to see scenarios for basic empty weight, gross weight, and a first flight. You will also need to create a Program Letter such as the one shown here.
The final step is to create an account on the FAA Airworthiness Center website, known as AWC. You should talk to your DAR prior to doing this, so he/she can review your paperwork and give you direction to ensure the application gets routed correctly in the system. Since the DAR will now have to create your Operating Limitations for Phase I and Phase II, it is a good time to discuss any special requirements or airports that you may wish to operate from, as they will need to be included in the Operating Limitations.
After you have created an application in AWC, it gets reviewed by the local FSDO or MIDO and then is routed to your DAR. The next step will be to schedule the inspection with the DAR.
The Big Day Arrives
I managed to successfully get through all of the steps I just described, and the date was set with Vern to perform the inspection. Vern has been doing work as a DAR for a long time. He is very thorough and is exactly the right person you want inspecting your aircraft. Like many of us, he also uses a checklist to make sure he doesn’t forget anything.
In this particular case, Vern had never seen a Hummingbird, which is not unusual. I’ve licensed many aircraft I haven’t seen, too. The process is still the same, consisting of a very thorough preflight, ensuring all the controls are correct and have the proper range of travel. This includes flight controls and engine controls. I explained how everything worked on the helicopter, and together we ensured that it was all correct. Helicopters have lots of moving parts, much more so than a typical Experimental/Amateur-Built airplane. As a comparison, in this case the engine was connected to the main rotor through a transmission, which also connected to a tail rotor shaft and two more transmissions prior to the tail rotor blades. The proper angles for each of the main rotor blades and the tail rotor blades are set up individually.
So it happened on February 21, 2023, just a year and a few weeks after I started construction, that N300VC was granted a Special Airworthiness Certificate!
Yes, I’ve been through this eleven other times, but this time it felt surreal. I had just built a helicopter, and much of it was a learning process, which is why I wanted to do it in the first place. With all the other aircraft I had completed, I was ready to fly them right after the inspection. Not so much in this case. Truth be told, I had a little gnawing in my stomach as to whether I should even perform the first flight, as I was still a low-time helicopter pilot.
I’ve made dozens of first flights for other builders, and while most of them are uneventful, there’ve been a few flights where things failed, such as airspeed indications, unresponsive trim systems, and typical EFIS issues primarily due to improper configurations. On the RV series of aircraft I’ve become pretty good at recognizing a problem and having the confidence and experience to make a timely decision on the course of action. I questioned my ability to accomplish that in a helicopter at this stage.
I see many builders let their flying skills deteriorate during the building process, sometimes due to time constrictions and sometimes just plain simple expense control. I tried to not let that happen, so I kept my Hughes T-55 helicopter and flew it regularly during the construction of the Hummingbird. I had only sold it six weeks earlier.
However, I did speak to Brad Clark at Vertical Aviation regarding the opportunity to fly his Hummingbird one more time prior to flying mine. As luck would have it, he had a couple of demo flights scheduled the same week as my inspection, so right after the inspection Carol and I headed to Sanford, Florida, and I managed to spend some time with Alex Anduze, who has more time in Hummingbird helicopters than anyone else. Alex gave me a pretty good workout, and when we were done I pointedly asked him if he thought I was capable of making the first flight in mine. He said yes, so that gave me some confidence. I could do it.
Time To Go Flying!
After having spent the last year building the helicopter, which took over 1800 hours, along with COVID and gallbladder surgery, there’s no doubt I was tired. Carol and I decided to take a couple of days and enjoy the sun and beach at Cocoa Beach prior to heading back. It gave me a few days to wind down and think about the first flight without waiting too long to do it.
We got back on Friday, and the weather looked good Sunday morning. I still found myself questioning if I was doing the right thing as I walked out to the helicopter, but it all worked out. It was successful, and I’ve detailed the flight testing in Sport Aviation.
We’ve crossed the 100 flight hours mark in it. I’m thinking I am going to have one more column for you with regards to lessons learned and improvements still being made, such as a throttle governor. I hope you’ve enjoyed the series, as it’s kind of a bittersweet ending for me. From time to time I hope to share with you some aspects of flying a homebuilt helicopter. I remind myself every time I get in it that I am still a student pilot, even though I have commercial privileges.
I know some of you are wondering what’s next. I honestly don’t know. I’m too young to say there won’t be another something; after all, I still have all these tools. For now I want to take time keeping the fun factor alive by enjoying the flying and building some more memories. No doubt there’s something out there that will catch my fancy. Time will tell.
