Design Approvals
What can I do to help you.....
Everything starts with an aircraft manufacturer obtaining the Type Certificate (TC) design approval for a new aircraft. Nope, I’m not going to help you there! The Boeings, and Textrons and Gulfstreams of the industry have that aspect covered. And a TC approves everything that comprises that aircraft, so technically no other design approvals are necessary.
However, if changes to a certified design are required or desired, obtaining a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) is an option. Once an aircraft has been delivered, STCs are a tried-and-true means for making improvements and upgrades beyond what the aircraft OEM offers. And even for the OEM offered service bulletins, an STC approval is most often a far more cost-effective alternative. And the good news is that 14 CFR allows anyone to obtain an STC.
Having spent decades managing hundreds of STC projects I can provide input on all aspects of such endeavors. Whether it’s the Project Specific Certification Plan that’s the crux of STC projects, the actual STC application to the FAA, or the substantiation data necessary to show compliance with applicable 14 CFR regulations, I’ve been involved in a wide range of avionics certification programs ranging from SATCOM and entertainment systems, to TCAS and transponders, to warning systems, and others. In doing so I’ve also been intimately involved in the safety assessment processes, from aircraft hazard analyses, to detailed fault tree analyses, down to piece-part failure modes and effects analyses of circuitry. Safety is, after all, the prime focus of 14 CFR compliance!
As part of managing STC projects I have also led the effort to obtain an Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) for the purposes of enabling a company to issue STCs themselves. I was responsible for the application to the FAA and once obtained, managed an STC ODA for many years, most recently as an STC ODA Administrator. If assistance in obtaining or operating an ODA is desired, I may be able to help.