Two of the most valuable resources for a homebuilt aircraft cost you nothing: the EAA Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor programs. Used well, they catch build errors before they become in-flight failures and expose gaps in pilot readiness before the first takeoff. Used late or not at all, they become a missed chance. This article explains what each program does, when to bring them in, and how to get real value instead of a rubber stamp.
What the two programs are and how they differ
They solve different problems at different stages, and confusing them is a common mistake.
| Program | Focus | Best timing |
| Technical Counselor | The airframe and systems: workmanship, safety of the build | Throughout construction, at key stages |
| Flight Advisor | The pilot: proficiency, currency, and a realistic first-flight plan | Before Phase I, weeks ahead of first flight |
Both are staffed by EAA volunteers who are experienced builders and pilots. They are advisory. They do not sign off airworthiness, they do not replace your DAR or the FAA, and they carry no regulatory authority. Their value is a second set of experienced eyes with nothing to sell you.
What a Technical Counselor actually looks for
A good counselor is not there to admire your paint. They look for the things that hurt people: control system continuity and correct direction of movement, fuel system routing and leaks, chafing wires and lines, fastener torque and safety, weight-and-balance realism, and evidence of your builder’s log. Because they have inspected many projects, they recognize the specific mistakes that recur on your model.
Why timing changes everything
The core reason to schedule visits during the build is access. Once the wings are skinned and closed, no one can see the control stops, the bell cranks, or the wiring behind them. A counselor visit before you close a structure is worth several visits after. Plan visits around “points of no return”: before closing wings, before installing the panel, before final control rigging, and before first engine runs.
What a Flight Advisor adds before first flight
The Flight Advisor shifts attention from the machine to the person flying it. Many accident sequences in new homebuilts trace less to the aircraft and more to a pilot who was rusty, unfamiliar with the type’s handling, or over-ambitious on day one. A Flight Advisor helps you honestly assess recent experience in similar aircraft, build a conservative first-flight plan, choose an appropriate airport and conditions, and decide whether transition training in a comparable type is needed first.
A real-world scenario
A builder finishes a fast, slippery composite single after four years. He is a current pilot, but all his recent hours are in a docile trainer. A Flight Advisor talks through the honest gap: the new aircraft lands far faster and is less forgiving. The plan that emerges is transition training in a similar type, a first flight limited to a straightforward climb and handling check at altitude near a long runway, and a chase plan. Nothing about the airframe changed. The risk profile of the first hour dropped sharply because the pilot side got the same scrutiny as the build.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Calling a counselor only at the end. Fix: schedule the first visit early, before any structure is closed.
- Treating the visit as an inspection to pass. Fix: hand them your open squawk list and ask what worries them most.
- Skipping the Flight Advisor because you already hold a certificate. Fix: currency in a trainer does not equal readiness in a hot new type; get the review anyway.
- Booking first flight for the same day as final assembly. Fix: separate the advisory review from flight day so there is time to act on findings.
- Assuming their sign-off is legal certification. Fix: keep your DAR or FAA airworthiness process on a separate track.
Action steps to get real value
- Find local counselors and advisors through your EAA chapter early in the project.
- Schedule Technical Counselor visits around each point of no return, not at completion.
- Keep an open squawk list and share it before each visit.
- Contact a Flight Advisor weeks before first flight, not the night before.
- Honestly log your recent hours in similar aircraft and discuss transition training.
- Write down every finding and confirm each is resolved before flying.
Conclusion and next step
These programs turn a solo project into one with experienced oversight, for free, without touching your legal certification path. The mistake is using them too late to matter. Your next step: contact your local EAA chapter this week and ask for the names of an active Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor, then schedule the first visit around your nearest point of no return.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be an EAA member to use these programs?
The programs are run through EAA and its chapters, and membership is the normal route to access them. Your local chapter is the fastest way to find active volunteers in your area.
Does a Technical Counselor visit replace the FAA airworthiness inspection?
No. Counselors are advisory volunteers with no certification authority. You still need your DAR or FAA inspection for the airworthiness certificate. The two run on separate tracks.
How many Technical Counselor visits should I plan?
There is no fixed number, but timing matters more than count. Aim for visits at each stage where structure is about to be closed and access is lost, so problems are found while they are still reachable.
I am a current, experienced pilot. Do I still need a Flight Advisor?
It is still worth it. Currency in a familiar type is not the same as readiness in a new, higher-performance homebuilt. An advisor helps you spot the specific gap and plan a conservative first flight.
References
- Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor programs.
- FAA Advisory Circular AC 90-89, Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing Handbook.