Not only is the kit certified by a production certificate, but once completed by a builder it must meet criteria in order to be issued an eperimental certificate under CFR 14 Part 21.191(g) and 21.193. The aircraft cannot be legally operated until the criteria is met and an experimental cert. issued by the FAA. The recommended guidance to accomplish experimental certification, and non A&P performed maintenance programs, is found in AC 20-27F. The FAA is not going to let Joe Shmoe build a flying machine is his garage, and take to the air with it without their blessing. So yes the FAA does have to certify experimental category aircraft.
I agree, though having been through the certification process on a certified manufactured airplane and the inspections on an experimental kit-built plane, there is no comparison. The inspections on a kit built plane are fairly cursory. So the FAA checks to make sure Joe Schmoe has bolted the wings on, but does not go through anything like the physical and paperwork recurrent inspections that they do at Cessna, Piper, et al.
Actually, when you fly a plane to determine it’s envelope and test its behavior outside that envelope, that’s when you can call yourself a test pilot. I don’t think the pilot was flying with ice on his wings to test the aircraft, so he’s simply an unlucky pilot. Poor guy. As long as we’re clear on that, I can live with this:
What you say above may true out in the literal sense, but in the aviation community, we call 'em test pilots
[quote="Stu**natz[/quote]
"]Actually, when you fly a plane to determine it’s envelope and test its behavior outside that envelope, that’s when you can call yourself a test pilot. I don’t think the pilot was flying with ice on his wings to test the aircraft, so he’s simply an unlucky pilot. Poor guy. As long as we’re clear on that, I can live with this
See, that’s the root of the problem. You somehow believe we give an RA what you can and can’t live with. You’re not too full of yourself, are you? (That’s a rhetorical question BTW!)
“He was a test pilot” is a figure of speech! It speaks to the fact that he had entered unknown territory in the flight response of this particular ice covered aircraft.
Sheesh!
A pilot flying an airplane that is not certified for flight into known icing, which this one was not, in below freezing temperature and visible moisture can be called a lot of things, but unlucky wouldn’t be high on that list. What he did was Russian Roulette with several, maybe all, cylinders loaded. I feel very badly for the pilot and his family and friends, but this was an avoidable situation.
[quote=“JHEM”]
See, that’s the root of the problem. You somehow believe we give an RA what you can and can’t live with. You’re not too full of yourself, are you? (That’s a rhetorical question BTW!)
“He was a test pilot” is a figure of speech! It speaks to the fact that he had entered unknown territory in the flight response of this particular ice covered aircraft.
Sheesh!
Grumpy old fart, when was the last time you got L**D 
[quote="J**DICK[/quote]
"]See, that’s the root of the problem. You somehow believe we give an RA what you can and can’t live with. You’re not too full of yourself, are you? (That’s a rhetorical question BTW!)
“He was a test pilot” is a figure of speech! It speaks to the fact that he had entered unknown territory in the flight response of this particular ice covered aircraft.
Sheesh!
What’s all that animosity about ? Why couldn’t you just take it easy and simply write : " “He was a test pilot” is a figure of speech! It speaks to the fact that he had entered unknown territory in the flight response of this particular ice covered aircraft." ? My post didn’t mean to be condescending in any way and I’m sorry if it offended anyone. You should keep all rats’ asses for the banter thread. You kinda remind me of a professional wrestler : The Rock…
I’ve got a rhetorical question for you: Does applying a band-aid on a flesh wound make you a doctor ?
“IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK !” -The Rock
But I’m up to date with the jargon now, so it’s all understood ! Thank you
I did…
discussions.flightaware.com/view … 2667#52667 I even put the emoticon in to show it was a “figure of speech”.
Go back and reread the thread. Several posters effectively said that in different ways, which is why I suspect that JHEM was exasperated when you brought it up yet again.
Go back and re-read my post. It essentially says: “I just wanted to make clear the true meaning of what a test pilot is and actually does for a living. I understand the figure of speech.”
I did…
Yes, I know you did and I thank you for it. However, my comment was not directed towards you. It’s OK for JHEM to be exasperated: we’re not all here to make him happy. However, it is one thing to be exasperated in front of a computer screen and another to make it public.
Last night actually. If you’re keeping track I’ll email you updates as they occur, but your mailbox might get full.
Apparently you didn’t understand the figure of speech, contrary to what you’ve written, or you wouldn’t have felt it necessary to define to us what a test pilot does. Talk about condescending.
Nah, I get just as exasperated in public and often react just as poorly. How about you? Ever just say “Ooops, sorry”?
Talk about condescending.
How about you? Ever just say “Ooops, sorry”?
Yep, I do. If you were a little less focused on showing us whose balls are bigger, you might’ve noticed it yourself… Apparently you didn’t. Here it is:
My post didn’t mean to be condescending in any way and I’m sorry if it offended anyone
Nah, I get just as exasperated in public and often react just as poorly
Great… Is that a “Ooops, sorry” from you or do you really not care how poorly you react in public ?
I’ll email you updates
Could you e-mail me an update when you’ll find that distorting people’s screen names isn’t really appropriate and doesn’t really prove or enforce anything you say? Thanks buddy.
Yep, that’s also an “Oops, sorry” Stugesso.
(And here I’d wondered if you’d noticed the change in your NIM. Damn, that was some good bait too! 
)
Uhhhhhh… Did you say, “NIM”?
Vitamin V 
We’re Glaxo retirees. I get whatever assistance I want for free or very little.
No, I said Ni!!
Ah, vardenafil, aka vitamin L.
Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Ni at will to FlightAware members. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred.
NI!