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Permalink Reply by Earnest Fontenot on February 24, 2014 at 1:59pm

James,

"One issue that will be addressed in every set of operating limitations, regardless of when they were issued, is the inspection requirements for the aircraft. In most cases the operating limitations will require that the aircraft be inspected within the preceding 12 calendar months. While this sounds very much like the annual inspection that most of our general aviation aircraft are required to undergo, it’s actually a different animal all together.

An annual inspection on a typical GA aircraft is required by FAR 91.409. But reading paragraph (c) of this regulation will reveal that the inspection requirements called out in the regulation don’t apply to aircraft carrying a current experimental airworthiness certificate. The FAA typically wants our experimental aircraft to be inspected each year, so since the regulation itself doesn't require such an inspection, the FAA must place this requirement in the operating limitations.

Technically, this isn’t an “annual” inspection, even though it’s required to be performed annually. The FAA actually has a specific definition for an annual inspection, requiring the aircraft undergoing such an inspection to be compared to its type certificate and any supplemental type certificates as may be applicable. Since our experimental aircraft don’t have a type certificate, they can’t undergo an annual inspection as defined by the FAA. This being the case, the inspection performed on an experimental aircraft is referred to as a condition inspection. And since this inspection isn't an annual inspection by FAA definition, the person performing it isn't required to hold an inspection authorization (IA)."

The above taken from an article found at:

http://www.eaa.org/experimenter/articles/2011-04_darside.asp

So annual condition inspections are usually good for one (1) calendar year and run out at the end of the calendar month in which they were performed. In other words if you did your annual at the beginning of February 2014, it is good until the end of February 2015 as long as that is what your operating limitations state..

I hope this helps,

Earnie

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Permalink Reply by James R Depfer Sr. on February 25, 2014 at 11:44am

Earnie,

Thanks for the information. I was assuming and hoping I could get a full year next time. I may go into March next year, so that I'm not freezing doing the checks in mid winter. April the following year would be even better.

Jim

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