09/01/2013
RANS S-20 RAVEN
TEXT MANUAL
00-33
DURATION OF MANDATORY FLIGHT TEST PERIOD
For standard aircraft type engines: When an FAA approved aircraft
engine/propeller combination is installed, the flight test period is usually limited to
25 hours of flight time.
For automotive engines, non-FAA approved engines or propellers, or FAA
approved engines and propellers where the combination is not approved, an
aircraft equipped with such an engine/propeller combination is required to be
flown for a longer test period, usually at least 40 hours, to prove its reliability.
NOTE: It should be understood that the local FAA Inspector has the prime
responsibility in determining the extent of the flight test period to be required
for your aircraft. He is permitted to exercise considerable discretion in
extending or in reducing the number of hours required to be flown during this
period.
FLIGHT TEST AREA
The FAA Inspector will authorize the flight tests to be carried out in a designated
and limited test area, usually within a 25 mile radius of the aircraft’s base of
operations.
He will insure the area selected is not over densely populated areas or in a
congested airway.
In assigning the flight test area, the FAA Inspector may modify the size and
shape of the area to suit the best purposes of the flight test program. In some
locations, particularly around bigger cities where air traffic is heavy, a flight test
area may not be practical. The builder must be prepared to except that an
approved flight test area may not be the one chosen to him as the most
convenient.
