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Is the FAA 91.411 and 91.413 altimeter check required outside the USA, and mandatory stickers?

And I operatemy experimental airplane in Slovena Europe so outside US

LJLJ, Slovenia

Yes it is a good point that with an Exp N-reg aircraft the Annual signoff is an A&P, not an A&P/IA, and actually this is needed only if you did not build it yourself. If you built it yourself then you can sign it off.

We have tight restrictions in Europe on long term parking of uncertified N-regs… Some threads here here here here etc.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

A summary of the FAA regulations for condition inspections of Experimental category aircraft is here

My airplane is N102PP ex yugoslav airforce galeb g2 trainer if this help

LJLJ, Slovenia

This is a question on a different angle.

Let’s say I swap my main (encoding) altimeter for a spare which I have on the shelf. The spare was overhauled by Castleberry Instruments in Texas (a top company) and comes with the calibration data showing it meets the FAA regs. The swap would be done and signed off by an A&P/IA.

Does the whole aircraft need another check after the altimeter swap? I believe it may do, because the pipework has been disturbed.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter,

If you plan on using the aircraft for IFR flight, installing a new altitude encoder would still require having a correspondence check as called for in 43, Appendix E, C. Also opening the static system would require the

Sec. 91.411 Altimeter system and altitude reporting equipment tests and inspections.

(a) No person may operate an airplane, or helicopter, in controlled airspace under IFR unless—
[(1) Within the preceding 24 calendar months, each static pressure system, each altimeter instrument, and each automatic pressure altitude
reporting system has been tested and inspected and found to comply with appendices E and F of part 43 of this chapter;
(2) Except for the use of system drain and alternate static pressure valves, following any opening and closing of the static pressure system, that system has been tested and inspected and found to comply with paragraph (a), appendix E, of part 43 of this chapter; and]
(3) Following installation or maintenance on the automatic pressure altitude reporting system of the ATC transponder where data correspondence error could be introduced, the integrated system has been tested, inspected, and found to comply with paragraph (c), appendix E, of part 43 of this chapter.

The correspondence test requires testing of the system including the transponder, although it is not a full transponder or altimeter test.

Appendix E to Part 43—Altimeter System Test and Inspection
Each person performing the altimeter system tests and inspections required by §91.411 of this chapter must comply with the following:

(c) Automatic Pressure Altitude Reporting Equipment and ATC Transponder System Integration Test. The test must be conducted by an appropriately rated person under the conditions specified in paragraph (a). Measure the automatic pressure altitude at the output of the installed ATC transponder when interrogated on Mode C at a sufficient number of test points to ensure that the altitude reporting equipment, altimeters, and ATC transponders perform their intended functions as installed in the aircraft. The difference between the automatic reporting output and the altitude displayed at the altimeter shall not exceed 125 feet.
KUZA, United States

Thank you NCyankee…

I bet this is widely disregarded, due to the scarcity of people capable of doing the test. Europe has relatively few FAR145 companies…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Is there any way to get an EASA company to do this check and get a “remote signoff” done by an FAA 145 company?

There is quite a lot in the way of travelling people who work for an FAA 145 company, but AFAIK they are always employees of that company.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Update: I got it done in the UK by a FAA 145 company. Unfortunately they don’t offer this service openly to light GA so I can’t mention them. They did it as a favour for me.

One reason they don’t do it generally is that if say a leak is found then locating and fixing it can be a lot of work and apparently a lot of light aircraft owners don’t want to spend the money fixing it.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

This interesting video shows one US shop doing this test



Nothing new there, and they are not applying stickers to everything either except that they are doing a strange rapid pressure change test which I have not seen anybody do over here and for which they disconnect the VSI.

Interesting paragraph in AC43-6D:

Static System and Pitot System. Damage can occur to instruments that are connected to
both the static system and pitot system when only the static system is evacuated. These
instruments may exceed the maximum design differential pressure. One method to
prevent this type of damage is to tie both the pitot and static systems together when
conducting static system checks. This should result in zero differential pressure
regardless of the degree of static system evacuation. Note that a leak in either system will
affect the test process.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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