Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2011-2012 - 87

PILOT’S GUIDE

get the paperwork through my local FSDO .” If you’ve called me before, you know what’s coming next: Why? First, I ask the caller to explain the project: When did you submit the paperwork? What exactly are you waiting for? If you attended the recent AEA International Convention & Trade Show, you know technology advances are growing almost exponentially — the interface capabilities, the displayed information, the abilities to misuse the “advisory data;” the list of new and novel technologies and their limitations go on and on . Is your FAA inspector comfortable with the technology you are presenting? If you are installing any number of advanced avionics systems, your inspector simply might not be familiar with the technology, much less the limitations of the installations . Asking your inspector to approve an installation package might be beyond his or her technical knowledge level and not a realistic request . Are you waiting for the flight manual supplement? Flight Standards ASIs have limited authority to approve a “follow-on” flight manual supplement . They do not have authority over new and novel technologies or a new flight manual supplement without an aircraft certification review . An ASI’s authority for FMS approval is captured in individual advisory circulars, such as AC 20-138a, or in FAA Info 08047, dated Aug . 28, 2008 . Asking an ASI to go beyond his or her authority isn’t realistic or fair . In addition, I typically ask those who call me to answer this question: “When did you talk to your ASI about your project?” We all know getting a complete data package approved before you start the job is not realistic . Not having approved data before you start sets you up for the risk of changing the installation after the fact if the data is amended as part of the approval process .

However, you can discuss the project with your ASI before you start . I usually recommend between the time the customer accepts the project and when the aircraft is received . This way, the groundwork has been laid and you minimize surprises . Of course, document your discussions . Your inspector has oversight of a dozen or more shops and might not remember every conversation he or she has with every person at every shop . Your documentation might be needed later as a memory jogger, especially if a considerable amount of time has passed since you discussed the project with your ASI . If the aircraft has a price tag of more than a million dollars or the owner uses it for business purposes, you always should consider having the

data approved from an FAA designated engineering representative . The daily interest accrued on this aircraft and/or loss of utility of this business resource easily justifies the price you will pay for the reliability and predictability of DERapproved data . If you won the bid by relying on the “free” field approval, you got what you paid for . Another area that comes to mind is the repair station manual . For years, the FAA and the rulemaking committees worked to change the entire repair station manual philosophy to better represent your business . And yet, we still struggle with the same old “new inspector/new manual” issues that plagued the industry a decade ago .
Continued on following page…

Bloomington Avionics, Inc.
• FAA Class I & II Full Service Avionics Repair Station • Over 31 Years of Quality Service & Installation for All Manufacturers • Specializing in High Performance Single Engine Aircraft - in particular • Piper PA46 series and Socata TBM 700/850 • Garmin Leading Edge Dealer
2823 E. Empire Bloomington, IL 61704 ph: 309-663-2713 • fx: 309-662-2827 www.bloomingtonavionics.com sales@bloomingtonavionics.com

Providing Tomorrow’s Technology Today
- 87 -

http://www.bloomingtonavionics.com

Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2011-2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2011-2012