Maintenance by owner question.

I was googling around for advice on buying a used RV and hit on a link to the PDF from Vans
http://www.vansaircraft.com/pdf/letters/buying_a_flying_rv.pdf

This section caught my eye:

MAINTENANCE
One of the big advantages of an Experimental airplane is that the builder may receive a Repairman?s Certificate. This document allows him to sign off all necessary maintenance and repair on this one airplane. This privilege does NOT go with the airplane if it is sold. It remains with the builder. The new owner must have condition inspections, maintenance and repairs signed off by an Airframe and Powerplant certificate holder, or by the holder of the Repairman?s Certificate. The owner without these credentials can perform some regular maintenance items, just as with certified aircraft. Check the FARs for permitted maintenance.

Click to expand...

I understand that an A&P IA or the original builder (if s/he applied for and rec'd the Repairman's Cert) has to do the annual, but I thought the owner could make mods w/o "sign off by others". The catch being those mods need to pass muster at annual. Am I mistaken?

I think you got it right. At least that is how I understand it!

You are correct that an owner can legally make modifications (with some caveats) and perform maintenance.

The annual condition inspection can be done by an A&P (no IA required) or by the holder of the Repairman's Certificate for that particular aircraft.

There's been a lot of discussion on this forum regarding the caveats - big changes to engine and/or prop would be the main consideration. Changes to the avionics and such, not a problem in most cases.

There are still maintenance items that require the use of a professional - specifically,Transponder checks and IFR pitot/static checks.

Maintenance

Your grandmother, your teen, or you could work on your RV. The repairman/A&P is only needed for the Condition Inspection.

Thanks, All. I appreciate the replies/info.

The Van's writeup is incorrect.

Anyone can do work on an experimental (be sure to follow the other regs - such as form and content of logbook entries, etc.) with no certification of any kind required (legal - ok; safe - ?; smart - ?).

The sole privilege that comes with a "Repairman Certificate - Experimental Aircraft Builder" (see FAR 65.104 - http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/tex...iv8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.1.4.5.1.3&idno=14) is the authorization to sign off the condition inspection on a specific aircraft. This is not the same certificate as "Repairman Certificate" (see FAR 65.103) and they do not have corresponding privileges.

The similarity of the name of the certificates and the notion that builders get repairman certificates creates a lot of misinformation that floats around.

Dan