Applications open for 2025 EAA AirVenture Cup Race

The Experimental Aircraft Association has opened online applications for the 2025 EAA AirVenture Cup Race—the 27th running of the competition. Racers will compete in all types of aircraft, both experimental and certified. Routing includes more than 400 nautical miles in a round-robin format.

It’s a timed race, with competitors racing the clock. Aircraft and pilots are placed in categories based on pilot ratings, landing gear configuration and engine power. There will be awards for first-, second-, and third-place finishers in each category.

The competition will kick off at 9 a.m. CDT on July 20 with more than 80 aircraft expected to participate. The course begins and concludes at Wausau Downtown Airport roughly 100 miles to the northwest of Oshkosh. The race is considered the official kickoff for EAA AirVenture 2025, which opens its turnstiles at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh the next day and runs from July 21 - July 27.

Those interested in competing in this year’s race can apply at airventurecuprace.com

Agency will eliminate some ‘red tape’ for pilots in the process.

The FAA announced an immediate policy change that allows experienced pilots to operate multiple experimental aircraft with less documentation and procedures.

Effective immediately, pilots who hold three Authorized Experimental Aircraft (AEA) authorizations in high-performance piston aircraft can operate additional experimental aircraft by completing only aircraft-specific ground and flight training, without the previously required practical test.

“Experimental aircraft pilots have had to jump through many cumbersome hoops in order to operate additional experimental aircraft,” said Representative Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in a statement. “Based on a requirement I fought hard to include in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the FAA has now streamlined this process and made it easier for experienced pilots to operate multiple types of aircraft without all the red tape. This commonsense change will reduce costs for the agency and allow more pilots to enjoy their freedom to fly.” 

The change represents a major shift in how the FAA manages authorizations for experimental aircraft operations. Previously, pilots needed to submit formal applications and documentation to the FAA for each additional experimental aircraft they wanted to fly.

The Experimental Aircraft “All Makes and Models” Program implements Section 806 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which mandated the agency to authorize pilots with three AEAs to operate additional experimental aircraft without the practical test requirement.

Under the new program, authorization will be provided through a simple logbook endorsement from the flight instructor who provided the training, rather than through formal FAA documentation. This endorsement serves as proof of authorization and must state that the pilot “holds at least three high-performance single-engine piston or high-performance multi-engine piston AEA authorizations, has received the required ground and flight training, and is proficient to act as PIC” of the specific make and model of experimental aircraft.

For pilots who don’t yet have the required three AEAs, the traditional process outlined in FAA Order 8900.1, Volume 5, Chapter 9, Section 2 remains in effect. These pilots will still need to follow the established procedures to obtain their initial authorizations before qualifying for the simplified process.

The agency notes that previously-issued airworthiness certificate operating limitations specify that pilots must hold a model-specific type rating, AEA, or temporary letter of authorization (LOA). As a result, pilots wanting to utilize the new program must first apply for an amended airworthiness certificate with an operating limitation that allows for the new logbook endorsement.

While the new program is effective immediately, the FAA is seeking public input on the guidance. Comments must be submitted by June 9 and should reference docket number FAA-2025-0906.

The FAA also said the program may be revised based on comments received, and interested parties can review the associated guidance posted to the docket number.

The FAA Aircraft Registration Branch has developed and is implementing the ability to electronically issue registration certificates for both aircraft and aircraft dealers. In lieu of physically mailed documents, the FAA will now email copies of aircraft registrations and dealer’s registration certificates after applications are made online, providing “streamlined and expedited delivery service while also reducing the cost and labor burden of mailing for the Registry,” according to their announcement. Owners are still required to carry their registration in the aircraft, and will need to print a copy once received from the FAA. An aircraft owner may still request a traditional paper certificate from the Registry.

In the notice, the FAA emphasizes,

“…the issuance of a registration certificate in electronic form does not, in any way, obviate or affect the need to comply with statutory, regulatory, or other requirements involving aircraft registration or dealer's registration certificates. Notably, in general, a Certificate of Aircraft Registration must still be carried on the aircraft.”

With a January 17, 2025, notice in the Federal Register, the FAA announced the immediate adoption of these changes to enable the use of the new Civil Aviation Registry, FAA Aircraft Registry Branch, to utilize the Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Service (CARES) system. CARES is a web-based electronic system that allows applications and supporting documentation to be uploaded securely to the FAA. The system also allows for the use of digital signatures, the payment of fees, and the tracking of applications. According to the FAA, a feature of CARES allows the electronic issuance and delivery of registration certificates, thus avoiding their need to be printed and mailed, a process that generally created a 7-10 business day wait for aircraft owners.

Some troublesome restrictions may be on the way out.

The FAA today announced a public filing in the Federal Register of a 118-page final rule that states it will open up several areas of operations enabling pilots to credit flight time toward civil regulatory requirements. Notably, under the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, the final rule amends the operating regulations “for experimental aircraft to permit certain flight training, testing, and checking in these aircraft without a letter of deviation authority.” Also, under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, “the same relief will be extended to certain flight training, testing, and checking in limited category, primary category, and experimental light sport aircraft.” That ruling also revises certain amendments related to logging recent flight experience, flight instructor privileges, flight training in aircraft holding special airworthiness certificates, and “the related prohibitions on conducting these activities for compensation or hire.”

The new ruling also allows pilots conducting public aircraft operations to log that time toward their civil regulatory requirements, consistent with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. Effective dates for the changes are specified as 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

From the FAASTeam
Notice Number: NOTC3401

Using a checklist is a fundamental part of any safe flight. During preflight, a checklist ensures pilots inspect an aircraft’s components and systems for proper operation and structural integrity and allows them to verify airworthiness. On taxi and during flight, they help ensure the airplane and engine are functioning properly and are configured appropriately for each phase of flight. Checklists provide important structure to the things we check often, usually in a prescribed order of priority. Bottom line: checklist usage is a sound and proven way to reduce errors and improve flight safety.

But just like airplanes change with upgrades or modifications, so too should checklists to include those new items and procedures or omit those that are obsolete. Maybe you’ve added some new avionics equipment or installed a new fire extinguisher. Or perhaps you’d like to reorder your instrument and gauge checks in a more logical manner. Or maybe you’d prefer to use a more specific term to verify a desired state than the sometimes vague “check and set” response. The question for some might be - how exactly do I modify a checklist?

While there is no approval required from the FAA to modify or customize a checklist, pilots and aircraft owners should start by consulting their aircraft’s Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM), or panel placards with some older aircraft. These steps should constitute the baseline for your checklist. If there is a manufacturer-prescribed task or procedure you wish to omit -- perhaps due to concerns about mechanical wear and tear on a particular component – you should consult directly with the manufacturer to ensure safety is not compromised.

The FAA issued a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO 17006) in 2017 that addresses safety concerns with using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or personally developed checklists. The notice was prompted by an accident involving a landing gear failure in which the pilot used a COTS checklist that lacked key steps regarding manual gear extension. The SAFO urges pilots to ensure any COTS or personal checklist is consistent with what the manufacturer states.

Another important reason for this consistency is apparent during practical exams for a pilot certificate or rating. Designated pilot examiners may require an aircraft manufacturer’s procedure is demonstrated when testing applicants. Those who use a checklist that differs from the manufacturer may omit or incorrectly perform an important step, impacting their ability to successfully pass the exam. If you are providing flight instruction it is essential that you show, demonstrate, and explain any omitted items to students to avoid this potential pitfall. The student should be able to demonstrate the procedure and be able to explain why it has been omitted from the modified checklist and is not performed routinely.

Having checklists that are efficient, logical, and that account for changes to an aircraft’s systems can greatly improve safety and even increase the likelihood of them being used. Just be sure the information you use for those revised checks is correct, complete, and consistent with the manufacturer’s safety standards.

Bonus Tip: Want to take your preflight checklist to the next level? Check out the FAA Safety Team’s Advanced Preflight M-Pamphlet here. This pamphlet helps pilots obtain valuable maintenance history on their aircraft like ADs, ACs, and any manufacturer service-related information, and then develop an Additional Items Checklist that can be used in conjunction with your aircraft’s preflight checklist.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!  IF YOU'RE A BUILDING AN AIRCRAFT AND WOULD LIKE TO DOCUMENT YOUR BUILD, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE THE EAA'S BUILDER WEBSITE   

TO SEE AND USE THE WEBSITE GO TO:

  https://eaabuilderslog.org/?blhome

Thanks go out to Don White from Merritt Island (and also one of our members) who voluntarily created this site for EAA!!!

TO SAVE TIME AND SEE JUST WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW 

A new course developed by Flight Service and available on FAASafety.gov provides students and VFR pilots guidance on how to conduct a safe and regulatory compliant preflight self-briefing using automated weather resources. The objective of the course is to ensure that the pilot understands aviation weather basics and learns to apply meteorological and aeronautical information in a systematic manner to plan a safe flight. The course includes scenarios, real-life examples, videos, reference materials, and practice exercises for pilots to conduct on their own or with their flight instructor. Access the WINGS credit course here: http://bit.ly/ALC683.  

The FAA has recently issued a general notice with regard to Surface Safety.  Several recent Runway Incursions have been attributed to communications. The most important concept in pilot-controller communications is understanding. Pilots must acknowledge each radio communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC) by using the appropriate aircraft call sign and confirming all hold short instructions.