Guys, This is soooo simple.
First, in the contract with Avemco or any other insurer, it's all in there in black and white. (I do not work for them). It is not an issue that you didn't see it or didn't know about it and "well, I thought......" just won't cut it, it just doesn't matter what you thought, only what's written and the fact that you agreed to it. The same goes for the FAR's. You can escape a lot of grief, if every time that you say to yourself, "....mmmm ....I think...." by pausing and then going and documenting what ever it is that you are thinking, whether it is the FAR's or fuel pumps or VE resin, bent spars or whatever. We as builders are the manufacturer and we should be proud of that, but we have to follow some rules and we have them or have the access to them. (I hate rules myself) This is just like what Cessna or Beech or Piper go through only it's probably easier for us. We/they make a change and the airplane is either recertified or issued a "temporary" certification. You/them make the change back and we go through the same gyrations again. You go back and forth twice and that's four configurations, forget the fact that two of them are identical to the other two. You are changing whatever the plane was last, not was once. Imagine that you have a one foot square block of steel that is certified by the FAA. You drill some holes in it, is it the same, no, and that's obvious. You have it recertified with the holes. You grow weary of the holes, weld them up and say that it's the same as the first configuration........ is it ? No, similar, but not the same. The FAA comes to look at it after the welds. You have done such a good job of welding and grinding that they don't know that it's different from the original. Is it the same even though they think so, no. And they (FAA) know that this can happen. Imagine this, you have a spare wheel identical to wheels that fit either your Beechcraft or your Cessna. You have a cracked wheel on one of them. Can you just put this wheel on in replacement of the cracked one ? Yes if it's the part number from the certification of the airplane, however, Beech and Cessna part numbers may be different for identical wheels made by the same vendor. Ask me how I know this. Here's another one. The GO-300 in the 175 Cessna can have a straight drive or angle drive starter. Only one was certified on the airplane. Can you arbitrarily use the other one if it fits, doesn't change the CG or the electrical load ? What if you sign off an inspection with the "wrong" starter on it ? Then what ? Ask me about that one. The FAA regulates these issues as if every change is a new item, it is not all that bad, after all we are operating in a nearly uncontrolled envoirnment, EXPERIMENTAL, we just have to dot the "i's" and cross the "t's". No big deal, after all any accident may ruin your life both physically and financially. We have all of the tools, the regulations and history at our disposal, we should never be caught it the hell of, "...well, I thought..." We even have the internet....(I could have invented it, you know) I know that I would rather do the paper work or research up front than end up in court, that's what my insurance is for. One last point, if you operate an aircraft, any aircraft, that is not deemed airworthy by whatever standards the FAA uses, some as those noted above, you are in violation of the FAR's. If you are found out and the chances are slim that you will be, but it could happen, then you could face suspension or revocation of your license(s). Your insurance company would not look favorably on that if it happened, ...at least I don't think so.................;-) (No, don't ask me about this one, it hasn't happened to me.) Kevin
