The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has formally begun the process of implementing Safety Management System (SMS) regulations. They have issued Terms of Reference (TOR) and plan to issue a Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) in the second quarter of 2012. Continue reading
At the 2011 AFRA Conference, a discussion of the economic factors affecting the current aviation marketplace, and affecting the future of certain aircraft types, provided valuable insight for PMA part producers concernined over diminishing markets for certain older aircraft types, as well as those examining increased competition from surplus spares. Continue reading
The FAA Authorization has been allowed to lapse. As a consequence, 4000 FAA employees who are deemed “non-essential” have been furloughed. While the newspapers may call these personnel “non-essential,” in many cases they are the safety professionals who are absolutely essential to continued advances in aviation safety. They are FAA FSDO inspectors and FAA engineers in the field. They are policy-makers in Washington. They are the people who make sure that the FAA continues to provide world-class leadership in safety. Continue reading
Boeing’s Vice President of Environmental, Health and Safety, Mary Armstrong, spoke at a joint session of the memberships of both the Aviation Suppliers Association (ASA) and the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA). Her speech made it clear that Boeing is acting as a leader in aviation’s efforts to achieve better environmental performance in the aviation industry. Continue reading
The FAA’s Advisory Circular (AC 00-56A) sets forth steps that are necessary in order for a civil aircraft parts distributor to become accredited. Continue reading
Many people are talking about restrictive ICA/CMM licensing agreements. These agreements condition access to the ICA or CMM on a licensing agreement that restricts the repair station or air carrier from using PMA parts. In some cases the restriction may be explicit, but in other cases it may be more subtle (like an agreement that forbids use of the OEM ICA for inspecting the PMA part, despite the fact that the FAA has already approved the PMA part with ICA provisions that require continued reliance on the OEM manual). Continue reading
The FAA has issued a new definition of the term “part” in AC 43-18. Although AC 43-18 is the Advisory Circular that provides guidance for Fabrication of Aircraft Parts by Maintenance Personnel, past FAA practice suggests that this definition could ultimately be used for other purposes that could affect Part 21 manufacturing issues. Continue reading
The FAA regulations now require each PMA applicant to include a statement of compliance with each PMA application. Can the FAA require you to provide additional information in order to meet the requirement of 21.303(a)(5)? Probably not. Continue reading
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