Registration Airplane or Motorglider

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 12:38:29 GMT, Russ Haggerty
wrote in ::

I am building and ready to register a Europa experimental. I have
both regular and glider wings. I am soliciting opinions as to any
problems or restrictions to flight if I register it as a motorglider.
I see advantages as to no medical requirements for glider license, and
also 10 flight requirement for license and a motor launch endorsement
from a CFIG.

Any opinions or comments welcome

Thanks........

Congratulations on your completion of a worthy project.

In addition to the benefit of self-certifying your medical condition
for operation of your Europa, registering it as a motorglider will
give you the right-of-way over all but balloons, aircraft in distress,
and perhaps aircraft towing or refueling other aircraft. I am unable
to think of a single negative aspect to choosing to register your
Europa as a glider.

I've crossposted to rec.aviation.soaring; readership of that newsgroup
may be able to provide additional insight into your decision.

What are other Europa builders doing?




http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text....2.4.7&idno=14
§ 91.113 Right-of-way rules: Except water operations.
(a) Inapplicability. This section does not apply to the operation
of an aircraft on water.

(b) General. When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether
an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual
flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person
operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft. When
a rule of this section gives another aircraft the right-of-way,
the pilot shall give way to that aircraft and may not pass over,
under, or ahead of it unless well clear.

(c) In distress. An aircraft in distress has the right-of-way over
all other air traffic.

(d) Converging. When aircraft of the same category are converging
at approximately the same altitude (except head-on, or nearly so),
the aircraft to the other's right has the right-of-way. If the
aircraft are of different categories—

(1) A balloon has the right-of-way over any other category of
aircraft;

(2) A glider has the right-of-way over an airship, powered
parachute, weight-shift-control aircraft, airplane, or rotorcraft.

(3) An airship has the right-of-way over a powered parachute,
weight-shift-control aircraft, airplane, or rotorcraft.

However, an aircraft towing or refueling other aircraft has the
right-of-way over all other engine-driven aircraft.

...