The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the proposed revision of Part 23, published by the FAA in March, is a remarkable document. During an election campaign in which the inability of Washington to get anything done is a central theme, the NPRM is a libertarian’s fever dream of deregulation. It’s hard to imagine how bureaucrats, notoriously more timid than hermit crabs, were able to emerge from the crusty shelters of decades to stretch their limbs like awakening Olympians. The NPRM is not just a superficial rewrite; it’s a fundamental rethinking of one of the FAA’s principal roles.
Technicalities: Simplifying Part 23
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA is proposing a fundamental revision of Part 23 for small airplane certification, transitioning from outdated, prescriptive design requirements to modern performance- and risk-based standards.
- The overhaul will replace traditional weight and propulsion categories with new ones based on passenger capacity and cruising speed, emphasizing what safety outcomes must be achieved rather than how they are designed.
- A key goal is to simplify the certification process by accepting industry-developed "consensus standards" as a means of compliance, thereby reducing regulatory barriers and harmonizing U.S. requirements with international practices.
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