Experimental/Amateur-Built AD Tracker
Track every applicable directive for E-AB builders and owners — compliance method, last done, next due by date or hours — with overdue badges.
The common myth is 'experimentals are exempt from ADs'; the accurate version is nuanced, and insurers plus condition-inspection mechanics expect documented compliance on certified components.
No entries yet — add your first one above. Data stays in your browser.
⚠️ Not for operational decisions. This is a record-keeping and planning aid only — not certified avionics, not a source of regulatory truth. Always verify against official sources (FAA/EASA) and your operator's approved documents before flying.
A free AD/directive compliance board for E-AB builders and owners: every directive with its method, last-complied date and next due, colour-coded before anything goes overdue. The common myth is 'experimentals are exempt from ADs'; the accurate version is nuanced, and insurers plus condition-inspection mechanics expect documented compliance on certified components..
About Experimental/Amateur-Built AD Tracker
Airworthiness directives are where paperwork meets legality: ads technically apply to type-certificated products — but e-ab aircraft using certified engines, props and appliances (a lycoming clone, a certified mag, a hartzell prop) inherit those component ads, and many operating limitations require compliance. The operational trap — the common myth is 'experimentals are exempt from ads'; the accurate version is nuanced, and insurers plus condition-inspection mechanics expect documented compliance on certified components. This board exists for exactly that seam: each directive carries its own method, dates and hour basis, repetitive items stay permanently visible, and the overdue logic runs every time you open the page. Inspections start from a reconciled baseline, and audits find a list instead of a scramble.
How to use Experimental/Amateur-Built AD Tracker
- 1Enter each applicable directive with its compliance method and dates.
- 2Update 'last complied' and 'next due' at every sign-off.
- 3Watch the badges between inspections; export the list for your mechanic or an audit.
Why use Experimental/Amateur-Built AD Tracker?
- ✓One entry per directive: method, last complied, next due by date or hours
- ✓Colour badges — amber 30 days out, red when overdue
- ✓Repetitive inspections stay permanently on the board
- ✓Built for the realities of E-AB builders and owners
- ✓CSV export = instant compliance summary for IAs, buyers and auditors
Frequently asked questions
Do ADs really apply to my experimental aircraft?+
For the airframe you built, generally no — there's no type certificate to amend. But certified components installed in it (engines, magnetos, propellers, carburetors) remain type-certificated products, your operating limitations likely require condition inspections 'in accordance with' applicable standards, and insurers treat component ADs as expected practice. Smart builders track them exactly as a certified owner would, which is what this board is for.
How should repetitive ADs be tracked differently from one-time ADs?+
A one-time AD is history once signed off; a repetitive directive is a living deadline that regenerates at every compliance. Track repetitive items with their interval logic — the next-due date or hour figure updated at each sign-off — and keep them on the board forever. This tracker's repetitive-items counter exists because those entries, not the one-time ones, are where airworthiness quietly lapses.
What happens if an AD goes overdue?+
The aircraft is unairworthy as a matter of law until compliance — insurance may be void, and flight (except under a ferry permit specifically issued for the purpose) is illegal. The cure is compliance plus a proper maintenance record entry. The practical defence is never reaching that state: a 30-day amber warning against a reconciled list is dramatically cheaper than a ferry permit and a sheepish call to your insurer.
Why doesn't this tool sync to the cloud?+
By design: operational records are sensitive, and the simplest privacy guarantee is never transmitting them. Local-only storage means zero servers, zero breach surface and zero subscription. If you work from several devices, keep one as the master record and move snapshots with the CSV export.
How do I back up or print these records?+
Use the Export CSV button below the table: it downloads your full AD compliance list as a spreadsheet-ready file. From there you can print a clean copy, archive it with your records folder, or import it into any other system. Exporting monthly is a good habit since the working data lives only in your browser.
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