Standard Airworthy Certificated Gliders in the US

[GM]

Can anyone give me some pointers on how to research the FAA database to find out if a glider has a standard airworthiness certificate or must be registered in the experimental category?
Thanks,
Uli

[Bill T]

Most any aircraft or glider will have a "Type Certificate Data Sheet" on file with the Federal Aviation Administration. You can search for the TCDS by Make/Model on FAA.gov. The TCDS will have the registration category listed. Some may change by serial number.

A copy of the TCDS should be part of the aircraft records.

BillT

[GM]

On Tuesday, July 15, 2014 11:19:28 PM UTC-4, Bill T wrote:
> Most any aircraft or glider will have a "Type Certificate Data Sheet" on file with the Federal Aviation Administration. You can search for the TCDS by Make/Model on FAA.gov. The TCDS will have the registration category listed. Some may change by serial number.
>
>
>
> A copy of the TCDS should be part of the aircraft records.
>
>
>
> BillT

Thanks Bill! I wasn't familiar with that terminology. Found the db for the TCDSs.
Uli

[Doug Mueller]

At 03:01 16 July 2014, GM wrote:
>Can anyone give me some pointers on how to research the FAA
database to
>find out if a glider has a standard airworthiness certificate or must
be
>registered in the experimental category?
>Thanks,
>Uli
>
Uli,
go to http://www.faa.gov
in the search bar type in (TCDS)
From there click on the link on the left side current model/By Make
Click on the letter at the top of the manufacturer name. It will give
alphabetical order.
If it is not listed then it could be under a different type certificate.
Check back here if you have a specific manufacturer not listed.
Best of Luck, Doug

[Doug Mueller]

At 05:10 16 July 2014, Doug Mueller wrote:
>At 03:01 16 July 2014, GM wrote:
>>Can anyone give me some pointers on how to research the FAA
>database to
>>find out if a glider has a standard airworthiness certificate or
must
>be
>>registered in the experimental category?
>>Thanks,
>>Uli
>>
>Uli,
> go to http://www.faa.gov
>in the search bar type in (TCDS)
>From there click on the link on the left side current model/By
Make
>Click on the letter at the top of the manufacturer name. It will
give
>alphabetical order.
>If it is not listed then it could be under a different type certificate.
>Check back here if you have a specific manufacturer not listed.
>Best of Luck, Doug
>
>
Sorry for the repeat info.

[Matt G.]

Can anyone give me some pointers on how to research the FAA database to find out if a glider has a standard airworthiness certificate or must be registered in the experimental category?
Thanks,
Uli

If looking up a glider by N-number, you can simply look at the registration to determine what category airworthiness cert it has. Under the "Airworthiness" section, look for "classification". It will be either "Standard" or "Experimental". This is the easiest way to tell for a particular glider, since some models have ended up in both the standard and experimental categories over the years.

[Dan Marotta]

Interesting - I could not find either AB Sportine Aviacija or LAK in the
TCDS database. Is that because my glider is Experimental?

Dan Marotta

On 7/15/2014 11:10 PM, Doug Mueller wrote:
> At 03:01 16 July 2014, GM wrote:
>> Can anyone give me some pointers on how to research the FAA
> database to
>> find out if a glider has a standard airworthiness certificate or must
> be
>> registered in the experimental category?
>> Thanks,
>> Uli
>>
> Uli,
> go to http://www.faa.gov
> in the search bar type in (TCDS)
> From there click on the link on the left side current model/By Make
> Click on the letter at the top of the manufacturer name. It will give
> alphabetical order.
> If it is not listed then it could be under a different type certificate.
> Check back here if you have a specific manufacturer not listed.
> Best of Luck, Doug
>

[Bob Kuykendall]

On Wednesday, July 16, 2014 3:38:56 AM UTC-7, Matt G. wrote:

> If looking up a glider by N-number, you can simply look at the
> registration to determine what category airworthiness cert it has. Under
> the "Airworthiness" section, look for "classification". It will be
> either "Standard" or "Experimental". This is the easiest way to tell for
> a particular glider, since some models have ended up in both the
> standard and experimental categories over the years...

Be cautious about what you learn by doing that; the FAA's records sometimes contain errors about certificate type. For example, I think that there is at least one Russia sailplane for which the certificate type is shown as "Standard" despite the absence of an actual type certificate.

Thanks, Bob K.

[Bob Kuykendall]

On Wednesday, July 16, 2014 7:29:22 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
> Interesting - I could not find either AB Sportine Aviacija or LAK in the
>
> TCDS database. Is that because my glider is Experimental?

I think the cause and effect are the other way around, but, yeah.

[Frank Whiteley]

On Wednesday, July 16, 2014 4:38:56 AM UTC-6, Matt G. wrote:
> GM;886150 Wrote:
>
> > Can anyone give me some pointers on how to research the FAA database to
>
> > find out if a glider has a standard airworthiness certificate or must be
>
> > registered in the experimental category?
>
> > Thanks,
>
> > Uli
>
>
>
> If looking up a glider by N-number, you can simply look at the
>
> registration to determine what category airworthiness cert it has. Under
>
> the "Airworthiness" section, look for "classification". It will be
>
> either "Standard" or "Experimental". This is the easiest way to tell for
>
> a particular glider, since some models have ended up in both the
>
> standard and experimental categories over the years.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Matt G.

Not always. I've found the information lacking on more than one record. Of note, one was the SZD-54 Perkoz in the winch accident a couple of years ago.

Frank Whiteley

[GM]

On Wednesday, July 16, 2014 6:38:56 AM UTC-4, Matt G. wrote:
> GM;886150 Wrote:
>
> > Can anyone give me some pointers on how to research the FAA database to
>
> > find out if a glider has a standard airworthiness certificate or must be
>
> > registered in the experimental category?
>
> > Thanks,
>
> > Uli
>
>
>
> If looking up a glider by N-number, you can simply look at the
>
> registration to determine what category airworthiness cert it has. Under
>
> the "Airworthiness" section, look for "classification". It will be
>
> either "Standard" or "Experimental". This is the easiest way to tell for
>
> a particular glider, since some models have ended up in both the
>
> standard and experimental categories over the years.
>
> Matt G.


Hi Matt,
thanks for your reply. My question was more general and aimed at particular models rather than a specific glider which is already registered in the US.
Uli

[Darryl Ramm]

On Wednesday, July 16, 2014 8:21:29 PM UTC-7, GM wrote:
> On Wednesday, July 16, 2014 6:38:56 AM UTC-4, Matt G. wrote:
>
> > GM;886150 Wrote:
>
> >
>
> > > Can anyone give me some pointers on how to research the FAA database to
>
> >
>
> > > find out if a glider has a standard airworthiness certificate or must be
>
> >
>
> > > registered in the experimental category?
>
> >
>
> > > Thanks,
>
> >
>
> > > Uli
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > If looking up a glider by N-number, you can simply look at the
>
> >
>
> > registration to determine what category airworthiness cert it has. Under
>
> >
>
> > the "Airworthiness" section, look for "classification". It will be
>
> >
>
> > either "Standard" or "Experimental". This is the easiest way to tell for
>
> >
>
> > a particular glider, since some models have ended up in both the
>
> >
>
> > standard and experimental categories over the years.
>
> >
>
> > Matt G.
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Matt,
>
> thanks for your reply. My question was more general and aimed at particular models rather than a specific glider which is already registered in the US.
>
> Uli

So why don't you just ask the question for he specific glider you are interested in?

[GM]

>
> > Hi Matt,
>
> >
>
> > thanks for your reply. My question was more general and aimed at particular models rather than a specific glider which is already registered in the US.
>
> >
>
> > Uli
>
>
>
> So why don't you just ask the question for he specific glider you are interested in?

Simple - I don't want to tip off my friends about what I intend to get ..... ;-)