Avionics News February 2012 - 18

F R O M R I C P E R I V I C E P R ES I D E N T O F G OV E R N M E N T & I N D U ST RY A F FA I RS FO R A EA

The Aircraft Electronics Association’s international membership continues to grow. Currently, the AEA represents avionics businesses in more than 40 countries throughout the world. To better serve the needs of the AEA’s international membership, the “International News and Regulatory Updates” section of Avionics News offers a greater focus on international regulatory activity, international industry news and an international “Frequently Asked Questions” column to help promote standardization. If you have comments about this section, send emails to avionicsnews@aea.net. This transition would be consistent with the FAA’s NextGen implementation plan, NAS enterprise architecture and other documentation. More information is available on the FAA’s NextGen website at www.faa.gov/ nextgen and the EA website at nasea.faa.gov. The AEA fully supports the advances and potential proposed by NextGen. However, due to the criticality of GPS for the future of PBN, and because the FAA has failed to protect aviation GPS operations from entrepreneurial start-up telecom companies, such as LightSquared, the association will not endorse decommissioning of any ground-based navigation systems until the FAA takes a leadership role to protect aviation GPS from outside influences. Comments must be received no later than March 7, 2012.

News & Regulatory Updates
Proposed Provision of Navigation Services for the Next Generation Air Transportation System Transition to Performance-Based Navigation
On Dec. 15, 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration published a notice seeking comments on a proposed transition of the U.S. National Airspace System navigation infrastructure to enable performance-based navigation as part of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. The FAA plans to transition from defining airways, routes and procedures using VHF omni-directional range and other legacy navigation aids to an NAS based on area navigation everywhere, and required navigation performance where beneficial. Such capabilities will be largely enabled by the global positioning system and the wide area augmentation system. The FAA plans to retain an optimized network of distance measuring equipment stations and a minimum operational network of VOR stations to ensure safety and continuous operations for high and low altitude en route airspace in the conterminous U.S., and terminal operations at the core 30 airports. The FAA also is conducting research on alternate positioning, navigation and timing solutions to enable further reduction of VORs below the MON. In addition, the FAA plans to satisfy any new requirements for category I instrument operations with WAAS localizer performance with vertical guidance procedures. A network of existing instrument landing systems would be sustained to provide alternative approach and landing capabilities to continue recovery and dispatch of aircraft during GPS outages.
18
avionics news

UNITED STATES

Damage Tolerance and Fatigue Evaluation of Composite Rotorcraft Structures
On Dec. 1, 2011, the FAA published a final rule revising airworthiness standards for type certification requirements of normal and transport category rotorcraft. The amendment requires evaluation of fatigue and residual static strength of composite rotorcraft structures using a damage tolerance evaluation, or a fatigue evaluation if the applicant establishes that a damage tolerance evaluation is impractical. The amendment addresses advances in composite structures technology and provides internationally harmonized standards. This new requirement likely will affect the retrofit of rotorcraft in the future. • Part 27 was revised by adding Sec. 27.573: Sec. 27.573 Damage Tolerance and Fatigue Evaluation of Composite Rotorcraft Structures. • Part 29 was revised by adding Sec. 29.573: Sec. 29.573 Damage Tolerance and Fatigue Evaluation of Composite Rotorcraft Structures.

•

february

2012

http://www.faa.gov/nextgen http://www.faa.gov/nextgen http://nasea.faa.gov

Avionics News February 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News February 2012