Airworthiness and Compliance: Certificates and Regulatory Impact

This report provides a comprehensive overview of airworthiness in aviation, defining key certificates such as Type Certificates (TC), Supplementary Type Certificates (STC), Recognized Supplemental Type Certificates (R(s)TC), Certificates of Registration (CoR), Certificates of Airworthiness (CofA), Air...Read More

Running head: AIRWORTHINESS
Airworthiness
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction:
The paper is focused in the elaboration of the various concepts related to the
airworthiness of the aircrafts. The various sets of the certificates that are used for the
specification of the airworthiness of the aircrafts are discussed in the paper. Apart from that,
the paper is used in the specification of the impact of those legislations in the maintenance of
the state of airworthy for the aircrafts. In addition to this, the paper is significant in the
identification of the issues that can be created with the ineffective management of the
legislations related with the airworthiness.
Discussion:
Type Certificates:
The type certificates are used for the certification of the aircraft’s manufacturing
design. The certificates are significant in the stating whether a particular aircraft is designed
in accordance to the approved design which ensures the compliance with the necessary
airworthiness requirements or not1. The process of certification is conducted with the
comparison of the design documents and the procedures for the identifying whether the
design satisfies the requirements that are needed for a particular type of equipment.
The certification is much required for the organizations in making sure that the
aircrafts are permitted to fly by the regulatory agencies in a safe and secure manner.
Supplementary Type Certificates:
The supplementary type certificates are of great significance for the aviation
organizations in terms of managing the modifications that are much required for a particular
1 De Florio, Filippo. Airworthiness: An introduction to aircraft certification and operations. Butterworth-
Heinemann, 2016.

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type certified aircraft2. As the design of the aircrafts cannot be changed when the type
certificate is issued for a particular aircraft, the organizations responsible for the conduction
of the repair and modification work, will be in need to request for a supplementary type
certificate. The modifications or repair work that are considered to be major by the authority
such as the change of type of the engine or increasing the maximum weight is in need to be
conducted through issuing a supplementary type certificate. 14 CFR 21.111 FOR United
States or Subpart E of Part 21 of EASA for the nations of the European Union are the
legislations covering the base of the mentioned form of the certification and violation of these
can forced the organizations to stop their services.
Certificate of Registration:
The Certificate of Registration (CoR) is significant for the aviation organizations in
making sure that a particular aircraft has a number that reflects the features and the
nationality of the aircraft. The number is generally written on the outer surface of the aircrafts
and expresses the design, airworthiness certificates, the characteristics such as the noise,
turbulence and weight and the design of the engines3. The registration number of the aircrafts
are observed to be notably important for the organizations in managing the requirements of
the airworthiness and certificate of the registration helps in the monitoring of the mentioned
aspects from the part of the national authorities.
The registration of the aircrafts are significantly important for the operations of the
flights and the violation of the related legislation can lead to suspension of operations.
Certificate of Airworthiness:
2 Yin, Shijun. "Study on resources allocation between airworthiness authority and aviation industry." Procedia
Engineering 80 (2014): 668-676.
3 Vasconcelos, Miguel. Civil airworthiness certification: Former military high-performance aircraft.
Stickshaker Pubs, 2013.

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The certificate of airworthiness is instrumental in the description of the suitability of
an aircraft for a safe and secure flight. The process of certification ensures the fact that the no
person should operate an aircraft that is not in the airworthy situation. Adding to this, the
certification claims that the pilot in command is the person responsible for the identification
or the evaluation of the condition of the aircraft whether it is suitable for safe flight or not.
Apart from that, it is also observed that, the certification is significantly important in the
definition of the condition of the parts of the aircraft such as the engine or propeller4.
The violation of the legislation regarding the initial and continuous airworthiness is
expected to stop the usual operations of the aircrafts.
AOC:
The AOC is known to be certificate for the air operators for the effective management
of the operations. With regard to the airworthiness or more specifically the` continuous
airworthiness, the AOC holder operators are liable to make sure that the operations of them is
in accordance to the Part ORO rules for the efficient management of the operations of the
aircrafts. Apart from that, he AOC holders are liable to make sure that their operations
satisfies the Part M requirements of the continuous airworthiness. The operators are also
expected to align their operations with the Subpart G, responsible for specifying the
airworthiness requirements of the Part M for managing airworthy operations5.
The violation of the legislations can lead to the cancellation of the certificate for a
particular holder of the AOC.
CMR:
4 Vasconcelos, Miguel. Civil airworthiness certification: Former military high-performance aircraft.
Stickshaker Pubs, 2013.
5 Clothier, Reece A., Brendan P. Williams, James Coyne, Mark Wade, and Achim Washington. "Challenges to
the development of an airworthiness regulatory framework for unmanned aircraft systems." In AIAC16: 16th
Australian International Aerospace Congress, p. 87. Engineers Australia, 2015.

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It is considered to be an operating limitation of the type certificates
and the supplemental type certificates which is designed in the form of
the required scheduled maintenance task that is established during the
time of the design certification of the airplane systems6. It is also
identified as the subset of the instructions that are selected during the
time of the certification for the specification and the maintenance of the
continuous airworthiness. The formation of the CMR is conducted with the
evaluation of the formal numerical values for the portrayal of the
compliance with the requirements that are applicable to the catastrophic
and hazardous failure conditions.
The violation of the CMR can create considerable amount of issues
in the maintenance and in the airworthy operations which has the
potential to stop the operations of the aircraft.
AMC:
The Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) is dedicated in the management of the
airworthiness requirements that are contained in the basic regulations. However, the
mentioned mode is not the only way of showing the compliance with the airworthiness
requirements as there is a scope for the Alternative Means of Compliances. The means of
compliances have the need to portray their ability to meet the necessary requirements of
airworthiness along with the intent of Implementing Rules (IR).
Configuration Management:
6 Gonczy, Stephen T. "Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness certification for ceramic matrix
composite components in civil aircraft systems." In MATEC Web of Conferences, vol. 29, p. 00002. EDP
Sciences, 2015.

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Configuration management is considered to be a formal discipline program that is
dedicated in the integration and application of the necessary technical and administrative
actions through the identification, audit, control and recording7. With a similar approach like
the management of the airworthiness, the CM is able identify the airworthiness requirements
with the help of the platform specific expert, is able to audit with the help of the modification
coordinator and inspectors, controls by the modification coordinator and also records with the
Test Squadron Maintenance.
EASA:
The European Aviation Safety Agency is the certified organization
for the European nations for the conduction of the safe and secure
aviation operations. Apart from that, the agency has a significant role in
the process of the certification, regulation along with the standardization
of the codes. Apart from that, the mentioned agency investigates and
monitors the performance of the aviation organizations with precise focus
on the safety of the operations. Adding to this, the subpart J, G and H of
the Part 21 of the EASA legislation is seen to be significant in the
maintenance of the initial airworthiness8. Along with that, the Part M,
145,147 and 66 are also considered to be of great significance in
managing the continuous airworthiness.
The violation of the EASA legislation can lead to cancellation of the certificates and
suspensions of operations for the organizations belonging to the European Union.
7 Brausch, John, and Gary Steffes. Demonstration, qualification, and airworthiness certification of structural
damage sensing (SDS) systems for Air Force application. No. AFRL-RX-WP-TM-2013-0062. AIR FORCE
RESEARCH LAB WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING
DIRECTORATE, 2013.
8 Easa.europa.eu 2019. "| EASA". EASA. https://www.easa.europa.eu/.

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FAA:
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national authority of the United States for
the effective management and regulation of all the aspects of the civil aviation. Apart from
the construction and operations of the airports and air traffic management, the FAA has a
significant role in the process of certification regarding the airworthiness requirements of the
aircrafts in the mentioned nation. The governing body monitors the selection of the personnel
and the condition of the aircrafts through the process of certification for making sure that the
safe and secure operations can be managed9.
GM:
Guidance Material is considered to be the explanatory and interpretation material for
the specification of the methods of achieving the airworthiness requirements contained in the
Basic Regulation, Implementing Rules, Acceptable Means Compliance and the Certification
Specifications. GM is significant in guiding the users through examples for the effective
interpretation and application of the basic regulation, IR, AMC and CS. Hence it is pretty
evident that the GM has a crucial role in the effective management or the organization’s
operations with a precise focus on the airworthiness requirements described in the Basic
Regulation, Implementing Rules, Acceptable Means Compliance and the Certification
Specifications.
R(s)TC:
The recognised supplemental type certificates are considered to be the type designs
that are accepted by the national aviation authorities. The mentioned certificates are observed
9 Faa.gov 2019. "Federal Aviation Administration". Faa.Gov. https://www.faa.gov/.

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to specify the requirements regarding the airworthiness of the airplanes and helicopters.
These certificates are the accepted set of certificates for the management of the state of
airworthy for a particular aircraft.
CET:
CET is identified as a test for the evaluation of the skills and the competency of the
candidates for the aircraft maintenance engineering course. The test is significant in the
assessment of the competency of the candidates in considering the importance of
airworthiness so that their future operational activities can lead to safe and secure aviation
operations.
Conclusion:
On a concluding note, the airworthiness is observed to be a significantly important
concept in the safety of the aviation industry. The legislative frameworks for the initial and
continuing airworthiness and the impact of the governing organizations are observed to be of
great significance in the efficient and safe operations of the aircrafts.

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References:
Brausch, John, and Gary Steffes. Demonstration, qualification, and airworthiness
certification of structural damage sensing (SDS) systems for Air Force application. No.
AFRL-RX-WP-TM-2013-0062. AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB WRIGHT-PATTERSON
AFB OH MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING DIRECTORATE, 2013.
Clothier, Reece A., Brendan P. Williams, James Coyne, Mark Wade, and Achim Washington.
"Challenges to the development of an airworthiness regulatory framework for unmanned
aircraft systems." In AIAC16: 16th Australian International Aerospace Congress, p. 87.
Engineers Australia, 2015.
De Florio, Filippo. Airworthiness: An introduction to aircraft certification and operations.
Butterworth-Heinemann, 2016.
Easa.europa.eu 2019. "| EASA". EASA. https://www.easa.europa.eu/.
Faa.gov 2019. "Federal Aviation Administration". Faa.Gov. https://www.faa.gov/.
Gonczy, Stephen T. "Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness certification for
ceramic matrix composite components in civil aircraft systems." In MATEC Web of
Conferences, vol. 29, p. 00002. EDP Sciences, 2015.
Vasconcelos, Miguel. Civil airworthiness certification: Former military high-performance
aircraft. Stickshaker Pubs, 2013.
Yin, Shijun. "Study on resources allocation between airworthiness authority and aviation
industry." Procedia Engineering 80 (2014): 668-676.