Originally Posted by
Arnold E
I seek the collective wisdom of the ppruners here. can anybody tell me, or direct me to the requirements of test flying a new homebuilt in relation to who and how many pilots are allowed to fly the said aircraft. Is there allowed to be more than one pilot on board? I have looked in the experimental aircraft section on the CASA website but cant find a reference to how many people are allowed to be on board during initial testing. I have no doubt somebody here knows the facts and I wait in eager anticipation.
Pilot only. If there's a legitimate need for a co-pilot, (fairly unlikely unless perhaps it is a highly complex aircraft) you'd have to take it up with your AP that issues your C of A.
This requirement is often not adhered to and usually followed up with with disciplinary action.
If you want multiple pilots to fly off the hours, they often approve an experienced test pilot for the first 5 or so hours and then someone else for the remainder as flying in a small area for potentially up to 40 hours or so can get somewhat boring.