"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...
That's absolutely true as far as that specific definition in Part 61
goes.
However, it is a turbine-powered aircraft, which requires a type rating
instead.

I was talking with a fellow today who told me about a 60hp turbine adapted
from an
APU which is being used in a few homebuilt aircraft. I assume this one
would require
a type rating?

Depends on how it's used. The regs actually only require the type rating
for "turbojet" aircraft. If the thrust comes from a prop attached to the
turbine, and the aircraft is less than 12,500 pounds, and the FAA has not
specifically called out the aircraft as requiring a type rating, then no
type rating would be required.

My "turbine-powered" comment was vague out of context...the message to which
I replied specifically mentioned a jet, and I unintentionally implied that
ANY turbine-powered aircraft would require a type rating, which isn't the
case.

It does raise the question of whether every pilot who's ever flown the
jet-powered BD-5 had a type rating, or whether the experimental certificate
for the plane is even the same as a type certificate (hard to get a type
rating for an airplane without a type certificate, I would think ). I
assume there's some sort of regulatory process that covers this, but I'm not
an expert in the experimental side of things and don't know the specifics.

Pete