A few years ago we had a guest speaker at the Clinton Fly-In who gave a presentation on a similar process. I believe he was a professor at a technical university. His FAA-approved program will give you training (almost to the regular A&P level) to work on your C150/152
This was called the
TOPCAT [
topcatschool.com] program. It re-certified a Cessna 150/152 from the Utility to the Primary category. The cost of the program was $2000 which included an annual inspection.
Primary Category is somewhat like the FAA's first attempt at LSA (just like their Recreational License was version 1.0 of a Sport Pilot License). The idea was that Primary Category aircraft would be fairly simple in nature (single engine, under 2,700lbs gross, 4-seats or less), and the owners of such aircraft would be allowed to perform much more maintenance than is normally permitted in FAR 43 app.A paragraph C
Unfortunately, the FAA made the same mistake of defining specific tasks rather than mechanical abilities. The result? You'll be allowed to change the exhaust gaskets, and remove and reinstall the same muffler in the process, but you are not allowed to
replace the muffler with a new one. And they forget (again) to include "replace air filter" as an approved task.
The aircraft itself was recertified in the Primary category by way of an STC. And as the school founder put it, this was the first time the FAA issued an STC for the pilot. Once trained, you could only work on that serial # aircraft. In affect, Primary Category simply added one to the population of mechanics that could work on the aircraft.
To go back to the Utility Category only required another annual inspection and paperwork to remove the STC.
It's a neat idea, close, oh so close to what was desired, but still missed by a mile. To paraphrase Mark Twain, it's like the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
