Homebuilt aircraft, also called experimentals, sportplanes or kit-planes are built by individuals and licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the "Experimental, Amateur-Built" category. This category has been in existence for more than five decades. It defines aircraft that are used for non-commercial, recreational purposes such as education or personal use. FAA regulations for the Experimental, Amateur-Built category require the builder to construct at least 51 percent of the aircraft.
For many people, the word 'homebuilt' conjures up images of flimsy, fragile craft. While a few homebuilts fit this description, many are sophisticated state-of-the-art designs constructed with hi-tech, space-age materials, and with performance surpassing the majority of production airplanes.
When the general public hears the words 'experimental aircraft', they typically imagine a research plane or something similar, with an unproven design or constructed using non-traditional materials. The truth, however, is that homebuilts are constructed using the same materials and methods used to construct production aircraft. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) statistics show that homebuilts are just as safe as production aircraft. Another good barometer of safety is insurance rates. Companies that insure both homebuilts and production aircraft charge about the same rates for owners of either type of airplane. That indicates a similar level of risk.
Like production airplanes, all homebuilts must be registered with the FAA. Before a homebuilt can be certified and flown, it must be inspected by an FAA Inspector or a Designated Inspector. This is a fairly rigorous process. If the aircraft passes this inspection, a pilot must fly between 25-40 hours of test flights in specific non-populated areas to make sure all components are operating properly. Only after that test time is flown may passengers be flown in the aircraft. In addition, all civil aircraft, including homebuilts must pass a thorough, rigorous inspection every 12 months.
There are approximately 22,000 homebuilts, constituting about 20 percent of all general aviation aircraft. Some of the more popular homebuilt designs, such as the Van's RV series, are entering service at a faster rate than any manufacturer is producing standard category aircraft. The efforts of Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft, and Mooney notwithstanding, the real dynamic growth in general aviation today is in homebuilts.
