Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Austin on December 5, 2015 at 11:13am

When you obtain your Airworthiness Certificate, the FAA or the DAR will issue you a set of Operating Limitations. Follow them to the letter - yours could slightly vary from someone else's! However, the Operating Limitations will usually prescribe the minimum number of flight test hours and give you the exact wording which goes in the aircraft (not the pilot's!) logbook and will call out specifically what test data is to be logged in that wording. Usually the last sentence says the aircraft is now in Phase II operation.

My OL called for this entry:

I certify that the prescribed flight test hours have been completed and the aircraft is controllable throughout its normal range of speeds and throughout all maneuvers to be executed, has no hazardous operating characteristics or design features, and is safe for operation. The following aircraft operating data has been demonstrated during flight testing: Speeds Vso, Vx,Vy, and the weight and CG location at which they were obtained. Aircraft in Phase II operation.  (signed)

(The OL called for the actual speeds, CG, and weight to be inserted in the statement.)

So, basically you're going to have to insert the speeds, CG, and weight called for in your particular Operating Limitations and record this in the aircraft logbook before beginning Phase II operations and carrying passengers.

Hope this helps,

John

N750A

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by brad cohen on December 5, 2015 at 11:41am

Agreed.
Now let me ask you this;
Let's say that you went out and flew the 23rd hour of your phase one program, where would you log this hour? In your pilots logbook? In the airframe log? How would you word said entry?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Austin on December 5, 2015 at 12:20pm

You can log any and every flight you want in your pilot's logbook and word it any way you want.

For redundancy,  I also keep a flight log in the aircraft to record each flight, make notes, etc., but AFAIK there is no requirement to do so. Just figure if my pilot's logbook (at home) was every lost or destroyed, I could re-construct my log book from the unofficial flight log.

Unless (and unlikely) your Operating Limitations call for it, I'd just log any maintenance, modifications, and inspections in the aircraft log book just like you'd normally do outside of Phase 1 - with the exception of the required entry as we discussed before.

My disclaimer is that this is just my experience and have no special knowledge! However, also in my experience, you can ask the FAA and usually you get a different answer from each bureaucrat you ask!  :>)

John

• ▶ Reply