"T o d d P a t t i s t" wrote in message
...
That's an interesting difference between an experimental,
such as my glider, and an aircraft with a standard type
cert. The experimental does not require an annual, it
requires a yearly "condition inspection," and *that*
inspection, unlike an annual is required by the experimental
airworthiness cert.

Right. As described in 91.409(c), experimental aircraft (and others,
including light-sport) are exempt from the requirement in 91.409(a) to have
an annual inspection. Of course, as you note, an annual inspection is still
actually required (though it's called something else)...the FAA causes that
requirement to be incorporated into the airworthiness certificate.

It's my assumption that this is specific to the kinds of "experimental"
certificates that are likely to be attached to aircraft used in
non-flight-testing situations (such as amateur built). This way, aircraft
that really are true experimental flight design development platforms can
get their exemption, while still applying the common-sense idea of having an
aircraft used for transportation still comply with the spirit of 91.409(a).
It may well be that experimentals used in the development of
non-experimental certificated aircraft have no annual inspection requirement
at all.

Pete