EAA Chapter 70 Experimental Aircraft

Homebuilt aircraft, officially known in the United States as Experimental Amateur-Built Aircraft, is a big part of our chapter.   We have many Experimental aircraft builders and pilots in our Chapter and we love to meet and others with the same interest.

What is an Experimental Aircraft?

In generic use, an experimental aircraft is an aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in flight.  Often, this implies that new aerospace technologies are being tested on the aircraft, though the label is more broad.  Experimental aircraft is also a specific term referring to an aircraft flown with an experimental category airworthiness certificate.  The term experimental aircraft is often erroneously used to mean homebuilt aircraft.   While all homebuilt aircraft are experimental, there are many types of experimental aircraft that are not Homebuilts.  In the United States, such aircraft may be flown as Experimental Aircraft under FAA regulations, provided that the owner has done at least 51% of the construction work.

Handy Link to how the FAA defines the Experimental Category