If the U.S. general aviation industry has its way, a new FAA framework for certificating aircraft and components—including the ways new equipment is installed on in-service aircraft—would be in place by the end of the year. That’s one of the goals expressed in a joint statement supporting a proposed rewrite of the agency’s Part 23 rules, those under which small airplanes are certificated and equipment for them is approved. The industry groups banded together to present a unified position on a proposed rule that would “improve safety and make it easier to bring new products to market for the light general aviation sector.”
The joint statement came a month after the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and Dynon Avionics announced a first-of-its-kind supplemental type certificate/approved model list (STC/AML) for installing non-FAA-approved flight instrumentation aboard certificated airplanes. Traditionally, the FAA has not allowed non-certified equipment to be installed as primary instrumentation aboard certified airplanes.
