Why this site?
If you’re in the business of manufacturing avionics for aircraft and/or installing avionics on aircraft, you already know there are numerous regulations enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that must be followed. Those regulations start with the design approvals needed from the FAA Certification Branch, transition to the manufacturing processes necessary to obtain production approvals from the FAA Certificate Management Branch, and then the approvals obtained from the FAA Flight Standards Branch to authorize the repair and overhaul of avionics.
The good news? Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) contains everything applicable from a regulatory perspective for all “Aeronautics and Space” activities you might possibly be involved in.
The bad news? There are tens of thousands of regulations! How does anyone know which ones are applicable and what they actually mean!?! The FAA has issued guidance for many areas in the form of Advisory Circulars (ACs) for industry and FAA Orders telling the FAA personnel how to enforce 14 CFR, but knowing which of these apply to your business and, just as important, what they really mean, is not obvious!
Why me?
I’ve spent over forty years in the aviation industry dealing with the FAA and avionics regulations, with the last several decades as Director of Certification for companies that design, manufacture, install, and repair avionics. Knowing what the CFRs actually require, what the applicable ACs and FAA Orders are, and more importantly, how to interpret their content, are areas where I can help. Having worked with the FAA (and foreign regulatory equivalent agencies) spanning the design, manufacturing, and repair & overhaul areas has provided me with a broad perspective into the different FAA branches. This has allowed me to understand the total life cycle of avionics and how various aspects impact all three and how to maximize compliance activities with minimal effort.
What can I do?
My goal is to educate people and organizations on the key areas that can help your business effectively adhere to regulatory requirements while optimizing your business processes. Understanding the “why” behind the words in the CFRs, FAA Orders, and FAA ACs is always the first step! Whether it’s offering advice as a “second set of eyes” or providing education and training to personnel responsible for regulatory compliance, I enjoy helping others avoid the pitfalls and pain of learning the hard way what is – and isn’t! – required to be successful.
If this sounds like something that would boost your business’ bottom line, please feel free to contact me.
To learn more about what I can do for you in these and other area select from the sections below.
Everything starts with a design obtaining FAA approval. That design and approval starts with the aircraft and encompasses every component comprising the aircraft, from structures to engines to avionics, wiring, nuts, bolts, etc. Obtaining that FAA design approval for all that can be challenging!
At the core of design approvals is substantiating safety. While compliance to 14 CFR is the foundation for safety, it's possible for a system to be fully compliant to all regulations but still pose a risk for safe flight. Luckily, there are well documented techniques for substantiating the safety of avionics systems and avoiding such things as Airworthiness Directives!
There is a regulation in 14 CFR that states "If a person knows, or should know, that a replacement or modification article is reasonably likely to be installed on a type-certificated product, the person may not produce that article unless it is..."
The regulation then states the various means a company can manufacture parts for an aircraft (which the regulations refer to as a "product").
But for avionics, there are only three ways, and a manufacturer needs to understand them!
Although there are many avionics manufacturers who choose not to repair their own equipment and rely on third-party FAA licensed repair and overhaul shops, many avionics manufacturers choose to reap the benefit of directly providing repairs to operators. But although it seems simple for the manufacturer to also repair returned units there are pitfalls to beware of!
Any avionics manufacturer must rely on their internal staff to execute the company mission while maintaining compliance to 14 CFR. But doing so requires constant training of the key roles, as well as education for all affected personnel so they understand their role in ensuring compliance and safety. Initial training as well as recurrent training as personnel change roles is an important part of maintaining continued compliance and safety.