Amateur-built and experimental aircraft - Australian Transport Safety ...

4 CONCLUSIONS
Amateur-built and Experimental (ABE) aircraft are an integral part of Australian
aviation, making up about eight per cent of all VH- registered aircraft. This report
has outlined some of the key features of this population of aircraft owners. The
picture that emerges is diverse, reflecting the two systems available in Australia to
build ABE aircraft, and the needs of builders and owners. It has shown that most
ABE owners were near or at retirement age, and mainly private pilots. Their
experience had been gained mostly in private flying, but they generally performed
more flying than the average private pilot. On average, 30 per cent of total flying
hours were performed in ABE aircraft.
Metal aircraft and composite aircraft made up about 80 per cent of all aircraft built
or owned, and monoplanes were favoured in about 90 per cent of aircraft. About
two-thirds of people used a certified engine, and where an automotive engine was
used, more challenges generally arose during the build process. A little less than
half the aircraft surveyed were complex aircraft, and about eight per cent of aircraft
were equipped for instrument flight. The wing loading of many of the aircraft
surveyed was similar to certified aircraft, but some high performance ABE aircraft
have higher wing loading than certified aircraft.
About 42 airframe hours were accumulated in the last year per aircraft, while about
236 airframes hours were accumulated in total. The type of flying influenced
airframe hours with the highest airframe hours being in touring and sports or
aerobatic flying. The majority of aircraft owned by survey respondents were in the
experimental category, and a shift from Amateur Built Aircraft Approval to
experimental aircraft was observed in about 16 per cent of respondents.
Respondents built and flew their ABE aircraft for a variety reasons, rating build
challenge, personal satisfaction, aircraft performance, purchase price, operating
cost, and the ability to perform maintenance with significant importance. The ability
to customise their aircraft presented a mixed result with about 50 per cent of people
seeing a standard aircraft as desirable.
About 80 per cent of respondents built and flew their aircraft and, of these people,
the vast majority only built one aircraft; one person built eight aircraft. Respondents
chose ‘slow-build’ kits most frequently, followed by plans and ‘quick-build kits’.
Those building by plans generally required about 3,000 hours to build, while slowbuild
required 2,400 hours and quick-build 1,250 hours. A small number of people
purchased a partially built kit.
About a third of aircraft builders made major build modifications during
construction, with fuel systems, engines, and structural components being the
systems most frequently modified. During the build phase, most respondents were
challenged with engines and avionics, and in general most people had good access
to build resources during construction. People found manufacturer resources, other
builders, and aircraft associations helpful during the build phase, but a mixed result
was found for internet user groups, and licensed aircraft maintenance engineers
(LAMEs) and the aviation regulator were not seen as very helpful.
About half of all pilots who built an aircraft (rather than buying it second-hand)
flew less, or much less during the build process. About 70 per cent of pilots flew
much more in the 3 months leading up to the test flight phase. Pilots in this category
were more likely to perform transition training.
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