The 51-Percent Solution?
Builders of experimental aircraft will be paying close attention in the coming months as the FAA begins its review of the rules that govern amateur-built airplanes. EAA’s Joe Norris said a lot of issues have arisen with various aspects of the 51-percent rule, which was crafted back in the 1950s. A lot has changed since then, with more complex and higher-performance aircraft being built, which were never envisioned when the rule was written. Also, custom builders and owner-assist consultants sometimes operate in a grayish area. “The regulation maybe hasn’t kept up with what is happening in the aviation community, so the FAA is going to take a look at some of these issues,” Norris said.

Builders of experimental aircraft will be paying close attention in the coming months as the FAA begins its review of the rules that govern amateur-built airplanes. EAA's Joe Norris said a lot of issues have arisen with various aspects of the 51-percent rule, which was crafted back in the 1950s. A lot has changed since then, with more complex and higher-performance aircraft being built, which were never envisioned when the rule was written. Also, custom builders and owner-assist consultants sometimes operate in a grayish area. "The regulation maybe hasn't kept up with what is happening in the aviation community, so the FAA is going to take a look at some of these issues," Norris said. The revamping of the rule is likely to be a complex undertaking that will take quite a while, Norris said. Hear more from Norris's discussion of the issues in AVweb's audio news.
