LED Landing / Taxi lights for the DA40

[Tim H]

I have an approved 337 for the installation of Whelen LED Landing and Taxi lights in a DA40.

I have a set on order and hope to have them installed shortly after delivery.

Tim

[Gasser]

How much $ to get the 337 and how long did it take.

Any help for us inexperienced guys so we can get it done?

[Tim H]

The only charge for the 337 is the IA time to fill it out and submit it to the FAA. The form is available online (for free), so anyone can fill it out and then have their IA submit it to the FAA. (That is what I did.) The FAA does not charge for 337 approval.

Since mine was the first 337 for the Whelen LEDs in a DA40, it took about 4 months of back and forth before it was finally approved.

Now that the first one is approved, the FAA should "rubber stamp" any future requests that are submitted for the same lights in the same type A/C.

I should note that the FAA put one limitation on the installation - "The landing and taxi lights cannot be used for commercial operations".

[Rick]

How much $ to get the 337 and how long did it take.

Any help for us inexperienced guys so we can get it done?

Jeff, the 337 form is basically a request from your shop, to your local FAA distric office, asking them to approve a specific modification to your airplane - in this case, the installation of a non-approved part (the LED lights). It is the descretion of each local FSDO to approve or deny each request. However, if Tim has already gotten approval, you should be able to copy the wording from his 337 (reason for the mod, installation requirements, instructions for continued airworthiness, etc.) and have some expectation of approval. You can always go to a shop in Tim's FAA district and get the 337 approved there if your district won't approve it for some reason...

A shop may charge some fee for writing and filing the 337 form, but if you provide them with all the correct wording (can you help here, Tim?), they shouldn't charge much for the 337 (an hour's time, maybe?). There is no other cost to prepare and file a form 337 - the FAA doesn't charge anything. It's not like an STC, where the modification has been certified by the FAA as an approved modification to ALL aircraft of a certain type - somebody spends a lot of money to get this type of approval, so you may have to 'buy' the right to use somebody else's approval (essentially paying a share of their cost of getting FAA approval). Does that help clarify the difference, or am I just further confusing things?

[Gasser]

Tim, is that something possible to get? The exact wording to speed things along for me?

Thanks.

Jeff

[Gasser]

I have got my local Diamond facility checking on a 337 for me in DTO. I'll report on progress.

Jeff

[Tim H]

Good luck Jeff. I hope my 337 was helpful.

Tim

[Gasser]

Me too. My mechanic is going to talk to the local FAA inspector to see what he thinks. I believe once he sees your 337 plus the install pics from this thread it should go quickly...I hope. I have until May to get it done so we can do the work while its in for my annual.

Jeff

[bcocheran]

Spoke with my mechanic as well. Said he saw no issues getting the 337 based on precedent. Will have mine done in a few weeks.

[Gasser]

Tim, if your reading this, do you have a picture of your plackared they made you have? Do you keep it mounted at all times or did you remove after install?