'Absent Any Design Standard, There Is Not A Concrete Distinction Between A Self-Launching Glider And An Airplane'
EAA has clarified an FAA guidance issue that had been a point of confusion in the certification of experimental self-launching gliders. When the FAA most recently revised Order 8130.2J, they removed a paragraph that gave inspectors and designated airworthiness representatives (DARs) special instructions on the certification of gliders. While the deletion was for the sake of consistency, it inadvertently removed a reference to a guidance document on what constitutes a self-launching glider.
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