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The Part 23 Rewrite: A Disaster in the Making?

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The "Part 23 rewrite" is a major international effort to harmonize aviation regulations, transitioning light aircraft certification from federal rules to ASTM standards to reduce costs and accelerate technology integration.
  • Proponents hope the change will lower aircraft prices and bring new products to market faster, enabling General Aviation to keep pace with rapid technological advancements.
  • However, the author expresses strong concerns that this shift could lead to compromised product quality and safety, citing the mixed results seen in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) market which also uses ASTM standards.
  • Specific worries include manufacturers struggling to balance liberalized standards with robust design, consumers buying inferior products, and the potential unreliability of avionics from smaller, less established manufacturers compared to trusted brands.
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Suddenly, the so-called “Part 23 rewrite” has grown from a simple tweaking of aircraft and equipment certification standards to a full-on international effort to harmonize regulations around the world. Changing the rules of the game for how manufacturers approve new technology for light airplanes by shifting from the federal aviation regulations (or their international equivalent) to ASTM standards is a watershed event in the history of aviation. It will reduce the time and cost to bring new products to market, allowing GA to keep up with rapid advances in technology while, hopefully, bringing prices for the consumer way down.

This is a big deal — so we’d better not screw it up.

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