ME

Ahmed Alnasser

AVM 4302

Florida Institute of Technology

Abstract

The paper examines the difference in the procedures of the FAA & EASA in issuance and losing certificates. The importance of the certification process and the certificate is highlighted. The role of both aviation regulatory authorities (FAA & EASA) is examined and studied. A brief procedure of certification of aircraft is explained.

Keywords: FAA, EASA, Aircraft certification, Airworthiness certificate

The Differences Between FAA & EASA In Issued & Losing Certificates

The certification is of paramount importance in the aviation industry. The certification is responsible for the safer and secure aviation operations. They ensure to keep each and every participating element in aviation operation to be in its best state while the aviation operation is carried out. Those involved elements include but not limited to aircraft, aircraft related equipment, airmen, airports etc. Hence there are several aviation regulatory authorities who are actively regulating the aviation operations through the certification system. As we know that the certification can be of various types, hence instead of covering this vast area we will be just focusing on the type certificate.

To certify the air worthiness of the manufacturing design or the type of the aircraft, a type aircraft is issued. The authority to issue such type certificate lies with a regulating body. Once the type certificate is issued, manufacturer is bound to stick with the design and not to change it. The type certificate is a surety to represent that aircraft’s design has been approved by the regulating body and it also complies with the requirements of airworthiness. The design documents and the manufacturing processes are analyzed to determine that the design complies with the reequipments outlined by the type certificate. The requirements set by the regulating agency through type certificate are known as Minimum Operating Performance Standards (MOPS). The regulating agency gets the help of other organizations like EUROCAE and RTCA, Inc for technical guidance to develop the MOPS mentioned in the form of the requirements of the type certificate (EUROPA, 2019). During the evaluation operation, a process called First Article Inspection is also involved, which is a quality control assessment process which is carried out before the quality assurance is done.

As the design has been approved through the type certificate, legally aircraft manufacturer is bound to stick with the design and to manufacturer accordingly. But in order to make changes in the design, he has two options. Whether he may apply for Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to bring small changes in the design or he completely redesign the aircraft. But the severity of small change is also evaluated by the regulating agency that whether it introduces some kind of new risk in the design or not (Design Approvals, 2015). If it is obvious that no new risk has been introduced by the introduction of small change in the design the aircraft manufacturer prefers to apply for a STC. Because it is cheaper that obtaining a new type certificate for the design being considered as complete new with the introduction of new risk or in case of redesign.

Once the aircraft is manufactured according to the approved design stated by the type certificate, it can be issued an airworthiness certificate by the regulatory authorities. Theses regularity authorities can be FAA in U.S, EASA in EU, Transport Canada in Canada, CTA in Brazil, KCAA in Kenya, CAAC in China, CASA in Australia etc. (Damen, 2014). To meet thee set requiem nets each sub assembly & the manufactured aircrafts are also needed to be approved, like in USA the sub-assemblies are required to comply with the required standards set through Technical Standards Order (TSO). Moreover, the design documents of the aircraft are also inspected to determine the design compliance to the Minimum Operating Performance Standards (MOPS) which may be applied to that sub-assembly. After the aircrafts have been manufactured according to the requirements set by type certificate (TC), not all the aircrafts are rigorously tested butt still the compliance of the aircraft to the requirements is reexamined on issuance of the Airworthiness certificate.

The manufactured aircraft is then registered properly and is issued with an Airworthiness certificate if it conforms to its design approved through TC. The airworthiness certificate remains valid as long as the aircraft remains in the safe condition to fly and maintenance and is also in accordance with its approved design.

EASA

The European Aviation Safety Agency or EASA is an aviation regulatory authority in European Union (EU). The organization is responsible for the regulation as well as the safety of the civil aviation (CA) within the jurisdiction of EU (European Aviation Safety Agency, 2019). In its role and task, the agency is responsible to issue certificates ( all types of aviation certificates related to aircraft, airmen, airports etc.) ; to regulate the civil aviation through implementation of previously developed rules and regulations and to develop the new regulations as well if the situations may arise; to standardize the aviation operations and to carry out the investigation of the incidents and accidents and monitoring of the aviation operations as well (Coman-Kund, 2018). The agency also gathers the safety data and also provides consultation on the safety legislation. EASA also works in close collaboration with other safety regulating agencies and authorities working in different global areas. In July 2017, The CAA of Singapore and EASA made the agreement for mutual recognition of the certification issued by both authorities (Air Transport World Online article, 2017). The concept of an aviation safety regulating authority was originated in 1996, but it took six years until the formation of EASA and finally after one year of its establishment it was fully functional in 2003. On 28 September 2003, EASA was handed over with the responsibility for environmental and airworthiness certification of all aviation related products, maintenance, parts, appliances, manufactured or being used by the persons under regulatory authority of member states of European Union (European Aviation Safety Agency, 2017).

Although EASA is responsible for the aviation operations within the jurisdiction of EU, but still there are few exceptions of operation, those operations are regulated by the individual Civil Aviation Authorities of the member states which involves experimental flight, ultralight vehicles, balloons etc. They are treated exclusively and are also mentioned on the EASA website as "Annex II" aero planes ( Archived copy, 2010).

Aircraft Certification by EASA

The newly manufactured aircrafts are required to obtain a type certificate before it may enter in the operation. EASA is responsible for the certification of the aircrafts in European Union and some of the non-EU European countries. This certification signifies that the aircraft is in accordance with the safety standards set by EASA or we may say EU. The certification process by EASA involves four steps and are mentioned as following (Aircraft Certification, 2018):

Technical Familiarization and Certification Basis

Once the initial design of the aircraft has reached the enough degree of maturity, the aircraft deign is presented to EASA by the aircraft manufacturer. After being familiarized with the technical information of the design, the EASA certification team start formulating the set of regulations and rules ore requirements which will be pertinent to the certification of that aircraft design. These rules and regulations are the certificate basis for the type certificate of the aircraft.

Establishment of the Certification Program

After the definition of the certification basis, the aircraft manufacturer and EASA work in collaboration to define the measures and means to examine the compliance of the aircraft design with every rule or regulation or requirement mentioned in Certification Basis. This process continues in parallel with the determination of EASA’s “level of involvement” in the process of certification.

Compliance demonstration

The multiple systems of the aircraft like electrical system, control systems, structural design, engines, flight controls, backup systems, are tested to check their compliance with the regulatory requirements defined by the Certification Basis. The aircraft manufacturer is responsible to ensure all these compliances. The compliance demonstration of the aircraft may vary according to the requirement, like it may be structural tests like fatigue testing, impact testing to test the structural strength of the aircraft in case of the bird hit, or the test may be done using the simulators, but still there are few parameters which require the flight test to be determined and for them may be the flight test are conducted or may be those conditions be simulated using the wind tunnels. The compliance demonstration is closely observed and examined by the EASA experts, sometimes they may just review the results of the tests in their offices situated in Cologne or they may personally attend few of the tests. The compliance demonstration is the longest step of the type-certification process. The duration for this phase is normally in years, for a larger aircraft like Airbus A300 it may extend up to several years like five years normally or it may get extended even further, if necessary.

Technical closure and issue of approval

After the completion of the compliance demonstration, EASA gives its verdict regarding its technical satisfaction with the compliance demonstration, if EASA is satisfied it issues the type certificate to the aircraft. For the European aircraft models which are validated by the foreign aviation regulatory authorities like FAA, TCCA etc., EASA delivers the primary type certificate to those aircrafts. Conversely, EASA also validates the US aircraft models certified by FAA or for any foreign aircraft model validated by the concerned aviation regulatory authority according to the applicable Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASAs) between the third country and European Union

FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the aviation regulatory authority of United States with the responsibility to regulate all the civil aviation operations inside the nation an over the surrounding international waters. It was created as a replacement of Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) in August 1958 and later on it became an agency within the US Department of Transportation (DoT). It is a very powerful governmental institution with the authorities including air traffic management, development and operations of airports, funding of the different aviation related support programs, certification of the aviation related equipment, airmen and aircrafts. It also regulated the space operations and is responsible for the protection of national assets during launch and reentry of the commercial space vehicles. The authority to regulate the airspace of the surrounding international waters is delegated to FAA by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In order to better understand the certification process of FAA, it is necessary to be familiar with the role of Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) and its role in the certification process.

Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) is appointed individual according to the 14 CFR 183.33 who has the authority to examine, inspect or test the services which are necessary for the issuance of the certificate (DAR, n.d.). Designated Airworthiness Representative can be of two types. He may be a manufacturing DAR or a maintenance DAR.

The maintenance DARs are supposed to carry a mechanic's certificate with powerplant and airframe rating according to 14 CFR part 65 Certification, or he may hold repairman certificate and may be employed by a 14 CFR part 145 certified repair station or he may be an air carrier operating certificate holder having FAA-approved continuous airworthiness program and must accomplish the requirements of qualification defined by FAA Order 8100.8, Chapter 14. On the other hand, the manufacturing DARS are supposed to have knowledge & experience of aeronautics and must meet the qualification requirements defined by Order 8100.8.

Aircraft Certification by FAA

The airworthiness certificate issued by FAA is a certified document which provides authority for operation of an aircraft in flight. The authority to issue an airworthiness certificate is possessed by the FAA authorized Representatives of the Administrator, according to 14 CFR Part 183 or FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors. The aircraft registered owner or the owner’s agent may apply for an airworthiness certificate. There are two different classifications of FAA issued airworthiness certificates (Airworthiness Certificates Overview, 2019):

1. Standard Airworthiness Certificate

2. Special Airworthiness Certificate

A standard airworthiness certificate is the FAA issued document authorizing the operation of type certified aircraft in normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, transport, manned free balloons and special classes categories. This certificate is valid as long as the aircraft maintains its approved type design and it is in a condition for safe maintenance & operation and the modifications are introduced according to 14 CFR parts 21, 43, and 91. In case of the transfer of ownership of the aircraft, the standard airworthiness certificate is transferred to the new owner according to 14 CFR section 21.179 (Standard Airworthiness Certificate, 2015).

The special airworthiness certificate is a FAA issued document authorizing the operation of aircraft in one or more following categories (Special Airworthiness Certificate, 2017):

Figure 1:Special airworthiness certificate categories

The issuance of airworthiness certificate for an aircraft is subjected to following cases, when (Airworthiness Certification Process, 2016):

· Applicant (registered owner or agent of owner) submits application for issuance of certificate

· Operator or owner register the aircraft

· FAA considers the aircraft eligible for issuance of certificate and considers aircraft safe for operation

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