Repair and Overhaul Approvals
What can I do to help you....
If you are manufacturing avionics, it’s quite likely that you are also repairing them. The FAA provides a great deal of flexibility in what a company can do in this area. Most avionics companies choose to obtain a repair station license from the FAA’s Flight Standards Service organization per 14 CFR Part 145. For most avionics manufacturers it also becomes desirable to obtain equivalent repair and overhaul authorizations from other regulatory agencies such as the European EASA, the United Kingdom CAA, and the Chinese CAAC.
Having been involved in R&O operations for many years I can help with the key area in this area when it comes to avionics manufacturers, which is understanding the difference in what the FAA requires from a Part 145 Repair Station when repairing avionics versus what the FAA requires from an avionics manufacturer repairing avionics under their Part 21 production approval.
It’s very common for an avionics manufacturer to essentially “mirror” their production processes, equipment, and even personnel used to manufacture new avionics when operating a Part 145 Repair Station. However, Part 145 (really its repair requirements in Part 43, “Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration”) provides much more flexibility that can significantly reduce the cost of repairs and improve your bottom line. If improvements in this area are desired, I can probably help find opportunities.