According to EAA:
DOES A PERSON HAVE TO BE A LICENSED PILOT TO FLY THESE AIRPLANES?
Yes. Pilots of Amateur-Built/Homebuilt aircraft must earn and maintain the
same Federal pilot training and ratings as those who fly production aircraft
(such as Cessnas, Pipers and Beechcrafts). They also must follow all
appropriate federal regulations during each of their flights.
FAR 61.31 (k) (2)
The rating limitations of this section do not apply to-
(iii) The holder of a pilot certificate when operating an
aircraft under the authority of an experimental or provisional aircraft type
certificate.
So if you choose to, you can operate any aircraft, in any
configuration, whether high performance, taildragger, multi-engine, turbojet
powered, aircraft requiring type rating, or complex aircraft if it has an
experimental airworthiness designation. Therefore, one must have at least a
Recreational Pilot License operated under 61.101(h), or Private Pilot License
or higher certificate. As with certified aircraft, you are required to have a
copy of the operating manual & limitations, registration and airworthiness
certificate, and current weight & balance, in the aircraft at all times while
flights are conducted, and operate that aircraft according to Part 91 regs
where applicable, and by the operating limits imposed or stated in the
aircraft's Operating Manual.
Ultralights & Light Sport Aircraft are governed by different regs and
so these statements do not apply to them.
Hope this clarifies things for everyone. And I did re-check things
Chris, thanks for pointing it out to me! :o)
Colin & Bev Rainey
KR2(td) N96TA
Sanford, FL
[email protected]
or [email protected]
http://kr-builder.org/Colin/index.html
