FAA says homebuilders have to build the components of their projects off-airport

On Thursday, August 7, 2014 10:54:17 PM UTC-5, Sylvia Else wrote:
On 8/08/2014 1:03 AM, Larry Dighera wrote:

FAA Says Hangars No Place For Homebuilders

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...t=email#222534

The FAA says most of the work involved in building an airplane is a

"non-aeronautical use" and it has singled out homebuilders in a new proposed

policy statement issued July 22. Policy

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/07/22/2014-17031/policy-on-the-non-aeronautical-use-of-airport-hangars#h-13

on the Non-Aeronautical Use Of Airport says homebuilders will have to build the

components of their projects elsewhere and can only move to a hangar for final

assembly. Comments are being accepted until Sept. 5 and can be submitted online

citing docket number FAA-2014-0463 http://www.regulations.gov/#!home. The

agency has devoted a separate section in the proposed policy to explaining its

stand. The essence is that the principal role of a hangar is to supply enclosed

storage for aircraft to give ready access to the runway. The FAA's argument is

that bucking rivets on a wing doesn't require a runway so it's not an

aeronautical use. It also says the policy has always been in force. "The FAA is

not proposing any change to existing policy other than to clarify that final

assembly of an aircraft, leading to the completion of the aircraft to a point

where it can be taxied, will be considered an aeronautical use," the proposed

policy says. EAA is aware of the proposed policy and staff are assessing it.



The new policy statement is the result of stepped-up enforcement of the rules

regarding uses of airport hangars. In dozens of audits conducted over the past

two years, the agency has found hangars crammed with just about everything but

airplanes. Household goods, cars, even non-aviation related businesses have

been discovered. The FAA says that because federal funds are used to build and

maintain airports, the use of airport facilities for non-aeronautical uses

amounts to a subsidy for those uses. In some cases the city or county

responsible for the airport was the violator. Auditors found police cars and

other municipal assets tucked safely away in airport hangars. The proposed

policy will also clarify the incidental storage of non-aeronautical items in

hangars, meaning that a couch and a beer fridge will probably be safe from the

feds.





Although of obvious concern to those who are using aircraft hangers to

build their aircraf, the FAA does appear to have a point. Demand for

hanger space for non-Aviation purposes will inevitably push up the cost

of hanger space to those who, because their use is Aviation related,

have no practical alternative.



Sylvia.

How about using the hangers to quarantine arriving Ebola patients, ala Ellis Island ??