What restrictions exist with an experimental certificate?
All experimental aircraft are subject to certain controls and limits. In general, an experimental aircraft will be restricted in how many people it can carry and where it can fly. To fly beyond the allowed operating area issued in the certificate requires prior approval by the FAA (a simple form letter actually). Since the experimental aircraft certification process and certificate issuance is all done at the local FSDO level of the FAA, the local inspector is the one that will decide what limits will be imposed. Unfortunately, there has been little consistancy in the certifications or inspectors. Some An-2s have been certified with permission to operate only with minimum crew (two pilots) and others with a full ship (two crew plus twelve passengers), or somewhere in between. Some have been restricted to operating only within 50 miles of the home airport, and others with limits up to 600 miles and pre-approved for a wide array of destination airports. We’ve heard at least one An-2 was
