Aircraft Building

The world of homebuilt aircraft — designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States as Experimental Amateur-Built Aircraft — has existed as long as man has been flying in powered aircraft. The Wright brothers were actually homebuilders, since they didn’t rely on a factory to construct their airplanes. They, like the homebuilders of today, used their own abilities, craftsmanship and ingenuity to construct safe and efficient flying machines.

Today, homebuilt aircraft fly in almost every country in the world. A significant number of homebuilt aircraft have flown around the globe and one, the Voyager, in 1986 was the first airplane ever to fly around the world non-stop on a single tank of fuel.

Experimental amateur-built aircraft are often called “homebuilts” because they are often built in people’s garages and basements. Amateur-built aircraft are the fastest growing segment of new aircraft in the United States. Amateur-built aircraft are built by individuals and certificated by the FAA as “experimental amateur-built” (E-AB).

EAA was founded in 1953 by a group of airplane enthusiasts mostly comprised of airplane builders, although anyone with an aviation interest has always been welcome in the organization. EAA has been the organization of record as the homebuilt movement moved from simple, single-place tube-and-fabric airplanes 60 years ago to today’s wide spectrum of aircraft that feature plans- and kit-built models. No matter the airplane project, one thing remains constant – homebuilt aircraft provide a path where nearly anyone can pursue their personal dream of flight.

To visit the Homebuilt Aircraft section of the EAA website click here.