Wow!!! In my last conversations with the local FSDO I got the impression
that they wish homebuilt would go away. First they assigned one guy to do
all the airworthiness inspections in his region and now they have appointed
DAR's. My experience tells me without asking that if the aircraft is
certified with retracts and later changes to fixed. The minimum
requirement for either a repairman of IA would be to document the change on
a 337 with a signed return to service entry in the log book. As for flying
off a restriction, it is up to the FSDO to assign restrictions. My best
bet is that if the FAA is asked, and an official answer demanded, that an
entire subject of would have to go to DC for staffing. In the past the
FSDO bosses were given authority to make such decisions within their FSDO.
My thought is that (I'm basing this on a recent e-mail comment I received
from the chief of the DTW FSDO)
In all major repairs the IA or repairman signs the form 337 and directly
sends the doc to Oklahoma City, for filing and review. They then have the
right to request that a field inspection be performed by FAA or DAR
personnel. I would say this includes experimentals as well. Orma L.
Robbins
N110LR 1984 to present
