How safe are homebuilt airplanes for flying?
You are as safe as you want to be. Little definitive data exists comparing homebuilts to certified aircraft. Some hold that accident rates for certified aircraft and homebuilts are about the same. The highest number of problems, incidents and accidents to homebuilt aircraft appear to be in flight test stage. While this is to be expected, it can be minimised a great deal by very careful building and engaging an EAA Flight Advisor who will advise you on the various pitfalls to be avoided – before first flight. Certified aircraft seem to have more unintentional encounters with bad weather that leads to accidents while homebuilts seem to fare worst in accidents resulting in over-stress from the aerobatics and fuel/engine related forced landings. Safety is still a function of the pilots ability to make intelligent decisions at all times, as with all aviation, homebuilt or commercial.
