25 hours as PIC in the HondaJet under the direct observation of a pilot holding the HA-420 type rating without limitations (14 CFR 61.64(g)), each flight attested in writing → administrative removal, no checkride. Insurance mentor time usually doubles as the SOE — if the mentor holds the right rating and the logbook wording is right.
The HA-420 SOE, in plain English
The HA-420 is the type rating for the HondaJet — original HA-420 through Elite, Elite S, and Elite II, all on one rating. Type courses run in a full-flight simulator, and under 14 CFR 61.64(f)(2) the rating prints with the Supervised Operating Experience limitation unless you arrived with one of the §61.64(b) experience outs — a prior unrestricted turbojet type, 1,000 hours in two turbojets, 500 hours in the HondaJet itself. Owners stepping up from a TBM, PC-12, or high-performance piston essentially never have them. Until removal, you act as PIC only under the direct observation of a pilot who holds the HA-420 without limitations.
The HondaJet fleet is young and still expanding, and it sells hard into the owner-flown market — which is exactly the population the SOE limitation lands on hardest, because the buyer's plan was never to carry a second pilot.
The HondaJet mentor math
Like every owner-flown jet, your insurer almost certainly requires mentor time, and those flights can double as your SOE. The HondaJet-specific catch: the type is newer and the fleet smaller than the Citation and Phenom worlds, so the pool of mentors holding an unrestricted HA-420 is thin — and a mentor who is himself still carrying the SOE cannot supervise yours (§61.64(g)(1)). A lot of freelance light-jet mentors are CJ or Phenom pilots; their ratings do not cover the HondaJet. Confirm the mentor's rating before hour one.
The rest is standard §61.64(g): you perform the duties of PIC on every flight while the mentor observes (§61.64(g)(3)), and every flight gets logged with the mentor's written attestation (§61.64(g)(2)). The common miss is mentor-CFIs logging "dual given" instead of attesting supervised PIC time. Use the sample attestation wording (PDF) from the first flight and the paperwork stays clean.
Why owners knock this out promptly
Until the SOE comes off, every flight needs a qualified observer in the other seat — scheduling around a mentor's calendar and paying a day rate, in an airplane you bought to fly solo. At typical owner utilization the 25 hours are done in a season; the removal itself is 20 minutes of paperwork. The certificate side is identical to the CFI-world SOE limitation removal — administrative verification and reissue, no flying involved — and the full regulatory walkthrough is in our 61.64(g) guide. We verify your logbook against the reg before the appointment, free, so removal day is a formality.
What removal requires
- 25 hours in the HondaJet while performing PIC duties, under direct observation of a PIC holding the HA-420 rating without limitations
- Written attestation for every SOE flight in your logbook
- Certificate + government photo ID
- IACRA application for the limitation removal
Common tripwires we see in HondaJet logbooks: mentor flights logged as instruction with no supervised-PIC attestation, attestations missing the mentor's certificate number, and charter SICs assuming their SIC time counts toward the 25 (it doesn't — the hours must be flown performing the duties of PIC under observation). Send your documents ahead — you'll get a checklist after the contact form — and we verify everything before the appointment. If something's short, you'll know before you've paid a dime.
How the appointment runs
- Identity verification (valid, unexpired photo ID)
- Certificate + logbook review — 25 SOE hours and attestations verified against §61.64(g)
- IACRA application signed live
- Temporary certificate without the limitation issued on the call
About 20 minutes, from anywhere with a stable connection — FBO, hangar office, layover hotel. 24-hour advance notice required for FAA DMS oversight entry.
Pricing — $200 flat
No travel fees, no rescheduling fees, no charge if you're determined not eligible during the appointment. Details → Pricing
Related
25 hours in the book? You're one video call from unrestricted.
Submit the contact form and you'll get a document checklist within 24 hours. $200 flat.
Schedule your HA-420 SOE removal →