I recently attended an ASTM meeting. This is for the standards that are used to “certify” Light-Sport Aircraft. Yes, it’s pretty dry stuff but it is the way such a staggering development of 128 new models of LSA has been possible in just seven years, an accomplishment not replicated anywhere in aviation, worldwide, since airplanes first flew. That would not be possible when using government certification systems.
So successful has it been that the FAA is now moving with surprising swiftness toward a similar system for Part 23 or regularly Type Certified aircraft, such as Cessnas and Cirruses.
A new ASTM committee met for the first time at the Atlanta ASTM conference in late October to pursue this course and they were encouraged to do so precisely because of the success of ASTM standards for LSAs.
It is very exciting to see this occur and I commend both the FAA and the general aviation industry for working to make this a reality.
If the LSA committee of ASTM is any indication — and it is held up as the reason why it can work for Type Certified aircraft as well — then the new mantra from Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta of “Half the [Certification] Cost and Twice the Safety” might actually come to pass.
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