USA Glider Experimental Airworthiness Certificate

When your DAR issues your Special Airworthiness Certificate, it will
have your operating limitations attached. Para 37 will be the
requirement for the annual program letter and amendments. The program
letter only takes effect after Phase I compliance with 91.319(b) and
the appropriate logbook entry. Section 10 of FAA Order 8130.2F w/chg 1
establishes the Experimental Exhibition and Air Racing Special
Airworthiness Certification Operating Limitations. You can read or
download a copy from http://tinyurl.com/8fxtg FWIW, Denver FSDO now
has a 'form' program letter. Just fill in the blanks.

If the glider is not amateur-built, Exhibition and Air Racing is really
the only other useful category. Light Sport Aircraft is too
restrictive for soaring, though a few gliders could fit. Gliders are
Group I and don't fit in a lot of other categories.

Program letters can be amended in writing, including FAX, a minimum of
24 hours before operating. What's not entirely clear regarding program
letters is cancellation of events. Say you include that you are flying
in Region X Sports Class from July 15th - July 25th at ABC airport.
You decide not to go or the competition is cancelled. So, July 20th
you are flying at your home base of opertions. Are you required to
amend your program letter to drop the cancelled comp? Sample program
letters would indicate yes. In practice, I doubt many in the soaring
community actually cancel.

Exhibition and Air Racing also involves flights to gain and maintain
proficiency. That's a lifetime of soaring to most of us.

Frank Whiteley