Licensing your Homebuilt Airplane

Documents and Documentation:

AC 2027G.  The FAA's Handbook for Licensing Your Homebuilt plane.

Step 1:  Notify the local FSDO Office of your intent to build a plane or that you have a plane under construction.  They can provide you with some useful advice as to whether it is an FAA Approved 51% compliant kit.  They will also provide you with all the paperwork and forms listed below.  The Albuquerque FSDO phone number is:  (505) 764-1200

Step 2:
Registration Number request  (Sample Letter)  Well in advance of the completion of your aircraft.


Step 3:
Register your aircraft roughly 60 - 120 days prior to completion.  The first two forms can be obtained by calling Albuquerque FSDO (505) 764-1200.  The last form can be downloaded from the FAA Forms web site.

AC Form 8050-1  Registration Application  -  (Sample) 60 - 120 days before the completion of your aircraft.

AC Form 8050-2  Aircraft Bill of Sale.  (Sample)  Should be included with Registration Application if it was a kit.

Form 8050-88  Affidavit of Ownership  (Sample)
                         or
Form 8050-88A Affidavit of Ownership for Light-Sport Aircraft


Step 4:
When the plane is nearing completion, the builder needs to contact FSDO.  The following is a Sample Letter to FSDO
requesting an Airworthiness Inspecting and documenting that the builder has all the correct documentation ready for inspection.
Sample Letter Requesting Airworthiness Inspection.  It might be worth noting that in the past, I have simply called a DAR or FSDO and asked for an inspection.

FAA Form 8130-6  Application for Airworthiness  (Sample)

FAA Form 8130-12  Eligibility Statement Amateur-Built Aircraft -  (Sample) Have this form Notorized

AC Form 8050-3 - (AFS-750  FAA Registration Branch will issue this form [your aircraft registration] to you)

Three View Drawings or photographs of the aircraft.

Completed Weight and Balance Data Sheet.

Appropriate Aircraft markings, Data Plate and passenger warnings.


Step 5.
Rediness for inspection.

Form 8000-38  Fabrication/Assembly operation Checklist  -  (Sample).

In addition to using this checklist, the builder should document the entire fabrication and assembly process. To issue an airworthiness certificate, the FAA must make a major portion determination (the major portion of an aircraft was fabricated and assembled by an amateur builder(s)). Making this finding requires sufficient, credible, and adequate documentation.
One should include the as much of the following information as possible to support the data on Form 8000-38:

Builders Log book

Photographs/video/DVD - It was noted during the meeting that you need to have some photos of YOU doing the work as proof if you
intend to apply for a repairman's certificate for the plane after it is finished.  It is also worth noting that the Repairman's Certificate for an Amateur Built Experimental Aircraft is quite different from the Repairman's Certificate for an E-LSA Aircraft.

Drawings and Engineering Specs.

Kit manufacturing Data when Necessary

Relevent Documentation and references (Plans, handbooks, reference guides)

Documentation for commercial assistance

Documentation for non-commercial assistance

Part inventories and histories

Receipts and Catalogs

Logbook Entries.

Completed Weight and Balance Data Sheet.

AC Form 8050-3 - (AFS-750  FAA Registration Branch will issue this form [your aircraft registration] to you)


Step 6.
And Finally... The actual inspection then on to Flight Testing.

AC 90-89A Amateur-Built Aircraft and UltraLight Flight Testing Handbook.


Blank copies of most of these forms can be found by going to  http://www.faa.gov/forms/ then plugging in the form number.  The rest can be found using a Google or other search engine web search.  The Registration Application and Bill of Sale can be obtrained by calling the Albuquerque FDSO at (505) 764-1200.  I usually have copies of the Registration Application and Bill of Sale on hand as well.  -Jeff