In 1947 individuals were first allowed to build their own airplane and have it certificated for flight by the government. In 1953, Paul Poberezny founded the EAA. This began a movement that has endured through the present time. Many people began to enjoy actually building aircraft and then flying them. Believe me, in the early days it was truly aircraft building. Kits that simply needed to be assembled had not been developed. During the 1970's and 1980's several new designs came into being. Custom aircraft building started to become more and more popular. Of course, product liability issues contributed to the movement. Marketing a design or kit does not carry the same legal responsibility as manufacturing and selling a completed airplane. I want to briefly express my opinion on using the word "homebuilt." To me that word carries a certain connotation that conjures up a vision of an airplane that might not be properly constructed. The word "experimental" also does not inspire confidence in quality. We think of an experimental aircraft as one only Chuck Yeager should fly. These words have been used for years, but I prefer to use the words "custom-built." The aircraft we are discussing have evolved through the years into high quality, safe aircraft that in many instances have led the aviation community in the area of technology. That is why you will see me use the term "custom built."