GBA Awarded FAA's Blessing Ahead Of Suspension Of Inspections

Groen Brothers Aviation announced last week the FAA evaluated its SparrowHawk III kit, produced and sold by GBA's American Autogyro Division, and determined that it qualifies to be included in the FAA listing of Eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits. The primary purpose of the listing is to assist FAA Inspectors/Designees and other interested individuals by eliminating the duplication of evaluations for "major portion" determination when the aircraft is presented for airworthiness certification as an "Amateur-Built Experimental."

All Amateur-Built/Homebuilt aircraft must be inspected and registered with the FAA before an Airworthiness Certificate can be issued. This fairly rigorous process is simplified for the builder if the kit has been evaluated and qualified by the FAA for inclusion in their listing of Eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits.

The Amateur-Built Experimental designation has been in existence for more than five decades. It defines aircraft that are used for non-commercial, recreational purposes such as education or personal use.

Currently, more than 23,000 amateur-built/home-built aircraft are licensed by the FAA. While some of these are truly "home-built" by individuals, others, such as the SparrowHawk III, are built from carefully engineered kits.

"GBA and American Autogyro are pleased with the determination by the FAA that the SparrowHawk III kit qualifies to be included in the FAA listing of eligible amateur-built aircraft kits," said GBA Executive Vice President Robin Wilson, "The SparrowHawk reflects GBA's more than two decades of gyroplane design and development experience."

GBA apparently got their inspection in under the wire... as ANN reported February 15 on the FAA's decision to temporarily suspend such courtesy inspections, due to the agency's decision to reevaulate the so-called "51 percent" rule.

The quick build SparrowHawk III kit significantly reduces the time and effort involved in the build process and makes it a more enjoyable and satisfying part of the whole experience. Additionally, several critical areas of assembly where special tooling might be required, or mistakes by the builder could lead to compromising the safety of the aircraft, are completed at the factory.

Estimated build time for the SparrowHawk III is approximately 300 hours, a notable reduction in build time from the previous model.

FMI: www.americanautogyro.com, www.groenbros.com