What is Aircraft Certification?

 What is Aircraft Certification?

To begin, let’s clarify what certification means. According to the dictionary, certification is the process of officially recognizing that a person, company, or product has met a certain standard. In the context of aviation, we deal with products, specifically aircraft, and certification signifies that the aircraft meets minimum required safety and design standards.

Aircraft certification is governed by Part 21 of aviation regulations — such as FAA/EASA Part 21 — which lays out the framework for various types of product approvals.
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Types of Product Approvals under Part 21

There are five main types of product approvals:
1.      Type Certificate (TC): Confirms that a specific product design meets applicable safety standards. The organization holding this certificate is known as the Type Certificate Holder (TCH), and only they can request changes to the certified design.

2.      Supplemental Type Certificate (STC): Required when modifications are made to an aircraft by a party other than the TCH. This allows third parties to certify design changes.

3.      Technical Standard Order (TSO): Pre-approval for individual components or systems, certifying that they meet specific performance standards. These components must still be integrated and certified within the aircraft.

4.      Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA): Applies to the manufacturing of approved replacement parts, often used to address obsolescence.

5.      Repair Approval: Issued when repairs are made to restore the airworthiness of damaged aircraft or components.
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The Aircraft Certification Process

Aircraft certification can be broken down into five key phases:
1. Application: The applicant initiates the process by requesting a specific type of approval.

2. Requirements Definition: Regulatory authorities and applicants determine which requirements apply to the proposed design.

3. Compliance Demonstration: The applicant demonstrates, through testing and documentation, that the design meets the defined requirements.

4. Finding of Compliance: The authority or its delegates review the substantiation to verify that compliance has been achieved.

5. Certification: Upon successful review, the authority issues formal approval.