The Homebuilders' Revolution

In garages, barns, and home workshops across America, thousands of aviation enthusiasts are doing something remarkable: building their own aircraft from scratch. These aren't kits assembled like model airplanes—they're sophisticated flying machines requiring hundreds of hours of skilled metalwork, electrical wiring, engine installation, and systems integration.

The result is a fleet of 40,887 experimental and amateur-built aircraft, representing 15.3% of all registered light aircraft. This grassroots movement has quietly become one of aviation's most dynamic sectors—and it's still growing.

Van's Aircraft: The Builder's Choice

No manufacturer has shaped the homebuilt movement more than Van's Aircraft. Founded by Richard VanGrunsven in 1973, the Oregon-based company has sold kits for more than 11,000 aircraft worldwide—a significant share of America's experimental fleet.

The RV series (named for founder Richard "Van" VanGrunsven) offers something for every builder: the RV-8 tandem trainer with 1,175 registered examples, the side-by-side RV-7 and RV-7A with 1,674 combined, and the four-seat RV-10 family hauler with 753 registered.

After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on December 4, 2023, Van's thankfully continued operations and recently began production of its first high-wing design, the RV-15, with wing kits shipping to builders in 2026.

The Economics of Building

Why would someone spend 1,000 to 2,000 hours building an aircraft instead of buying one ready-made? The answer is part economics, part passion. A Van's RV-7 kit costs around $48,000 in materials, plus an engine ($25,000-$40,000) and avionics ($10,000-$50,000). Total investment: $83,000-$138,000 for an aircraft that would cost $200,000+ if factory-built with similar performance.

But builders will tell you it's not about the money. It's about understanding every rivet, every wire, every system in your aircraft. It's about the pride of flying something you built with your own hands. And it's about joining a community of like-minded aviation enthusiasts who gather at EAA fly-ins and chapter meetings to share knowledge and support.

Beyond Van's: A Diverse Ecosystem

While Van's dominates the numbers, the experimental category encompasses remarkable diversity. The 434 registered Quad City Challenger IIs represent the ultralight movement—simple, affordable aircraft among the least expensive to build. High-performance designs like the Glasair and Lancair offer cruise speeds exceeding 200 mph. Unconventional aircraft like the Long-EZ canard design push the boundaries of what homebuilts can achieve.

Each represents a builder's vision of the ideal aircraft, unconstrained by the compromises and regulations that govern certified production aircraft.

Safety and Regulation

Experimental aircraft have historically carried higher risk than their certified counterparts. A 2012 NTSB study identified the problem: while amateur-built aircraft made up about 10% of the fleet, they accounted for 15% of accidents. The danger was concentrated in a specific window—first flights and the initial 40 hours of operation, when pilots were learning unfamiliar aircraft that no test pilot had ever flown before.

The homebuilding community's response has been systematic. The Experimental Aircraft Association now fields more than 1,000 volunteer technical counselors who visit builders' projects during construction, catching errors before they become airborne. Over 500 flight advisors help pilots prepare for that critical first flight. And in 2023, the FAA introduced task-based Phase I testing—replacing arbitrary hour requirements with specific safety tasks that address the actual risks.

The results are striking. According to EAA's 2024 report, fatal accidents in amateur-built aircraft have been cut nearly in half over 15 years: from 598 during 1998-2007 to 338 during 2014-2023. In the federal fiscal year ending September 2024, just 29 fatal accidents occurred—well below the FAA's goal of 46, and down from 40 a decade earlier. The gap between experimental and certified aircraft continues to narrow.

The Future of Homebuilding

As certified aircraft production remains constrained by high costs and regulatory complexity, the experimental category thrives. Nearly 1,200 new amateur-built aircraft were registered in 2019—the largest growth in a decade. According to the EAA, the fleet has doubled since 1994, while total hours flown have increased by 123%.

This growth represents more than statistics. It represents thousands of individuals who refused to accept aviation as a spectator sport, who transformed their garages into factories, and who proved that the dream of personal flight remains as vibrant today as it was in aviation's golden age.

Why This Matters

The experimental category serves as aviation's innovation laboratory. Features that first appeared in homebuilts—glass cockpits, whole-aircraft parachutes, composite construction—eventually migrated to certified aircraft. Without the experimental community's willingness to test new ideas, aviation technology would advance far more slowly.

Safety remains the central debate. Experimental aircraft do have higher accident rates, particularly during the critical first 40 hours of flight. The FAA's requirement that builders perform 51% of construction work—the "51% rule"—ensures that owners understand their aircraft intimately. Organizations like the EAA provide technical counselors and flight advisors to help builders avoid common pitfalls and complete safe first flights.

For the future of general aviation, homebuilding may be essential. With new certified aircraft costing $370,000 to over $1 million, the amateur-built route offers the only financially accessible path to aircraft ownership for many pilots. A completed RV-7 can cost under $150,000 in materials—and the sweat equity invested creates a profound connection between pilot and machine.