Sonex -- The Sport Aircraft Reality Check!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sonex Aircraft, LLC Participates in Preliminary
FAA NKET Evaluation Excercises

October 28, 2009, Oshkosh, WI

October 20th through 22nd Sonex Aircraft, LLC hosted nine members of the newly-formed FAA National Kit Evaluation Team (NKET) for a practice evaluation of their Sonex Aircraft Complete Kit, which was selected to be the first in a series of Experimental-Amateur Built aircraft kits evaluated under the new Amateur-Built Orders and Advisory Circular. This practice evaluation helped prepare the NKET for all future kit evaluations, now that the temporary moratorium on new kit evaluations has been lifted.

“Overall, Sonex Aircraft could not have been more pleased with the way the FAA conducted this simulated kit evaluation,” commented Sonex Aircraft, LLC General Manager and CEO Jeremy Monnett. “The new National Kit Evaluation Team arrived well prepared and organized and conducted themselves with a high degree of professionalism and consistency. All items that the ARC recommended during our series of meetings over the past few years were addressed by this visit.”

Although the Sonex, Waiex, and Xenos Aircraft Kits are grandfathered into the FAA Approved Kit list under the previous kit evaluation system, Sonex Aircraft offered to participate in this evaluation exercise to continue its ongoing leadership role in the formation and refinement of the rules governing Experimental-Amateur Built Aircraft construction. “We want to state with absolute certainty that all Sonex, Waiex, and Xenos Aircraft Kits will remain safely in the 51% Experimental Amateur-Built Kit category for builders using all available components and upgrades from Sonex Aircraft, LLC,” noted Monnett.

Sonex Aircraft has been serving on the FAA’s Amateur-Built Rulemaking Committee (ARC) since August 2006, having attended six ARC meetings over a two-year period. These meetings included representatives from the FAA, fellow aircraft kit manufacturers, commercial assistance owners, and aircraft associations. The final findings of the ARC Committee were published in the federal registry in September 2009.

Sonex Aircraft, LLC is a leader in the experimental kit aircraft industry, providing a series of Sport Pilot eligible kit aircraft and producing the AeroConversions line of products which include the AeroVee engine, AeroCarb and ancillary aviation products. Sonex Aircraft’s Sonex and Waiex sport planes, and the Xenos sport motorglider offer outstanding performance in an easy to build, easy to fly kit package that can be purchased and completed with full technical support at an unrivaled price. Sonex and AeroConversions product development is committed to providing simple, elegant and low-cost solutions for sport flying. Simply put, Sonex Aircraft and AeroConversions products provide the best performance per dollar. Check us out at www.SonexAircraft.com and www.AeroConversions.com

PRESS CONTACT:

Mark Schaible
Sonex Aircraft, LLC
www.SonexAircraft.com
Phone: (920) 231-8297
Fax: (920) 426-8333
E-mail: mark@sonexaircraft.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:

FAA ORDER 8130.35 (NATIONAL KIT EVALUATION TEAM – NKET): http://tinyurl.com/yjp5a5n
FAA ORDER 8130.2F CHANGE 4: http://tinyurl.com/yfysg8j
FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR AC 20-27G (INCLUDES NEW 8000-38 CHECKLIST): http://tinyurl.com/yfjgf6g
EAA.ORG ARTICLE: “FAA KIT EVALUATORS TUNE-UP NEW KIT APPROVAL PROCESS AT SONEX”: http://www.eaa.org/news/2009/2009-10-23_sonex.asp

HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES AVAILABLE BELOW:

Sonex Aircraft, LLC General Manager and CEO Jeremy Monnett details construction of the tail sections of Sonex Aircraft Tail Kits and Complete Airframe Kits.
Download High Resolution (300 dpi, 4.2mb JPEG file)

The FAA NKET team debates calculations for construction and installaion of the Sonex Aircraft fuel system.
Download High Resolution (300 dpi, 4.6mb JPEG file)

Sonex Aircraft employee Kerry Fores (left) shows Machined Angle Component Kit upgrade parts to EAA's Vice President of Industry and Regulatory Affairs and ARC Co-Chairman Earl Lawrence.
Download High Resolution (300 dpi, 4.4mb JPEG file)

ADDITIONAL HIGH RESOLUTION SONEX AIRCRAFT, LLC AND AEROCONVERSIONS IMAGES AVAILABLE BY REQUEST FROM THE IMAGE GALLERIES LISTED AT: http://www.sonexaircraft.com/press/images.html

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SONEX AND AEROCONVERSIONS PUBLIC RELATIONS RSS FEED:
http://www.sonexaircraft.com/rss_info.html

# # #

Back to Press Release Index