"Stealth Pilot" wrote in message
...
if the 'aircraft factories masquerading as homebuilders' are producing
sound aircraft why do you seek to stop them? jealousy? envy?

The quality (or lack of) of the product produced by these unofficial
"aircraft factories" is not the issue.

Those folks are abusing regulations that are designed to allow amateur design
and construction of experimental aircraft. The FAA wants to stop that. One way
or another, the FAA WILL stop that. The easiest way for the FAA to proceed is
to produce new regulations that will make things just as hard on the true
amateurs as it will on the rogue "aircraft factories".

Don't get me wrong. I feel that the availability of CNC-made predrilled
kits and parts to the amateur is a wonderful thing and probably produces a safer
aircraft compared to a true one-off build. I would hate to see the practice
regulated out of existence because a few folks are abusing the system.

I would simply prefer for those "aircraft factories" to make their own case
to the FAA if they feel that they should be allowed to operate and (more
importantly) for the true amateur who has been operating within the spirit of
the regulations to be left alone.

If that dialog leads to an improvement of the certification process that
allows a small company to afford to actually design and build a safe aircraft at
a profit, so much the better!

Vaughn