Avionics News April 2016 - 14

F R O M
R I C
P E R I
A EA 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

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.

UNITED STATES

News & Regulatory Updates
Part 23 Rewrite NPRM
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a
notice of proposed rulemaking proposing a revision
to the airworthiness standards for normal, utility,
acrobatic, and commuter category airplanes.
The FAA proposes to amend its airworthiness
standards for normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter
category airplanes by removing current prescriptive
design requirements and replacing them with
performance-based airworthiness standards. The
proposed standards would also replace the current
weight and propulsion divisions in small airplane
regulations with performance- and risk-based divisions
for airplanes with a maximum seating capacity of 19
passengers or less and a maximum takeoff weight of
19,000 pounds or less. The proposed airworthiness
standards are based on, and would maintain, the level
of safety of the current small airplane regulations.
Finally, the FAA proposes to adopt additional
airworthiness standards to address certification
for flight in icing conditions, enhanced stall
characteristics, and minimum control speed to prevent
departure from controlled flight for multiengine
airplanes. This notice of proposed rulemaking
addresses the congressional mandate set forth in the
14

avionics news

april

2016

Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013.
In its desire to expedite the final rule, the FAA
requests that comments must be received before May
13, 2016.
To fully understand the impact of this proposed
rule, the Aircraft Electronics Association will be
providing a complete review of the NPRM at the
Friday Regulatory Rise and Shine session during the
2016 AEA International Convention & Trade Show,
which takes place April 27-30 in Orlando, Florida.
The AEA also will provide a progressive review of
the NPRM on its website over the next several weeks.

Installation approval for
ADS-B Out systems
On March 2, 2016, the FAA published the
revision to its policy regarding ADS-B Out system
installations. While originally intending to remove
the barriers to installation allowing for ADS-B Out
systems to be considered a minor alteration, the final
policy failed to clarify this. However, the policy does
recognize the previously approved data and ADS-B
flight manual supplements, and does not require
further approval provided the installation follows the
previously approved data.
Deviations from previously approved data does require
subsequent approval as does equipment FMS approvals.
The FAA memorandum is available on the AEA
website.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News April 2016