Some questions on Buying a Cozy/Long EZ

[N4PJX]

Hello all I think this is my first post here but it looks like I could get some good information. I have fallen in Love with the Pusher Canard and ultimately want to build my on Cozy MkIV, but I am currently a CH-47 D/F pilot in the Army and commuting back a forth from Clarksville, TN and Ft. Rucker, AL. (abt 325 NM). Since I am a few years from retiring and the long trip I make on the weekends I would like to look at maybe buying a Cozy or Long EZ or Vari EZ. My major question is since I am not the builder maintenance has to be done by and A&P and annuals by an AI? I know enough of them in my field that it is not a problem to get it done, but are the rules easier than a certificated airplane or do they become much the same?

 

I have a lot of military maintenance experience (Maintenance Test Pilot) but not much in the civilian world. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks for the help and maybe I can find someone in the SE Alabama area or central Tennessee/Kentucky that is building or has on of these aircraft to get some pointers.

 

Thanks again,

 

Rob

[Drew Swenson]

You should be able to search this site as well as the web for a more complete answer. However, the short answer is----if you do not have the repairman certificate for that specific airplane (the builder of that specific N number "owns" the repairman cert), then you cannot do the condition inspection (cond inspection is basically an annual for experimentals).

 

So even if you built a lot of Longez's, you would not be able to conduct the condition inspection for a friend's Longez (unless you had the repairman cert----or were an A&P yourself).

 

Doing maintenance on an aircraft is another matter. There is a list of 15 or 20 things (can't remember) that you are allowed as an owner of a certified aircraft---things like changing oil. With an experimental, you can do all your own work---regardless of having the repairman cert or not.

[bhassel]

It;s not that you can't do a conditional - it's that you can't sign it off without having the repairman's certificate. You can do it as long as you get an A&P to sign off. You can do your own maintenance, etc.

 

However considering the original post, if you build it then you can get the repairman's certificate. There is no need for an A&P. You might use one if you want but you do not need to. It's you, all you!

 

Bob

[N4PJX]

Well I want to build a Cozy just do not have the time right now but I am going to get the plans and start and I think that is the hardest part is just getting in your head that you can do it and get going. Thanks for the info and I will be looking around the site to gather as much info as I can.

 

Thanks again,

 

Rob