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

It is important to note that some people are sensitive about the terms experimental
and amateur-built (Patillo, 1998). They express the view that the term amateur is
demeaning and implies that people building aircraft of this nature are not skilled or
knowledgeable. What is clear is that aircraft engineers, draftsmen, designers, and
licensed aircraft maintenance engineers (LAME) have been active members of the
organised amateur-built aircraft community since it started in 1955. Rogers (1978)
points out members of the ULAAA designed and built the Millicer Airtourer, which
later became the iconic Victa Airtourer.
1.1.2 Shifts in the ABE aviation industry
Growth of the ABE sector
Figure 7 shows evidence that ABE aircraft are becoming more popular in Australia.
Increasing interest by pilots and prospective pilots in ABE aircraft raises questions
about why they are a popular choice over more traditional GA aircraft.
Figure 7: Growth of VH- registered ABE aircraft
Source: Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, General Aviation
Activity Survey, 2009; Australian Airsport, 1974.
Most certified GA aircraft have been made, and currently are manufactured, in the
United States (US). Examining what has happened in the US provides some insight
into the Australian experience. One factor that has influenced the popularity of ABE
aircraft has been their role in filling the GA market void created by the collapse of
certified production aircraft manufacturing in the 1980s (see Figure 8). The
downturn in certified production aircraft manufacture at this time was due to a
number of factors, including market saturation and product liability. Despite the
resumption of certified GA aircraft manufacture by companies such as Cessna and
Piper in the late 1990s, production levels have not recovered to those seen in the
1970s and early 1980s, and purchase costs for new aircraft remain high in
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