The STC Process Presented by: Olympic Aero Services Inc. www.faastc.

com

Introduction
The FAA and Your Company Does Your Company have to make a safe or an airworthy product? Airworthiness/FARs The path to airworthiness. The STC process.

The FAA and Your Company

Your Company could

manufacture a variety of items. Fortunately/Unfortunately the majority of these are installed in aircraft.

The FAA and Your Company(cont)

If you modify an aircraft...the FAA must approve every aspect:
The design
Electrical, Structural

Manufacturing
Does the product match the design?

Others?

Question?
Does Your Company have to make a product that is safe when installed or airworthy when installed?

Answer
The answer is both. Safe - When installed will not cause harm to the aircraft or the operator. Airworthy - When installed the entire aircraft complies with the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). Several portions of the FARs address safety--if airworthy, it is safe.

Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs)

Describes how an aircraft should be designed, manufactured and maintained. Engineering=Design Production=Manufacturing Maintain=Customer

Parts 23,25,27,29
Part 21 (see the PMA Manual) Part 23 small aircraft (172, 182) Part 25 Transport Category ( 747, GV) Part 27 small helicopters (Astar, Bell 206) Part 29 Transport Category (Bell 412)

FARs (cont)
Within each part are broad categories:
Flight loads Flammability Electrical Equipment Mechanical Interiors Flight Loads Flammability.

Structure

Interiors

Electrical

FARs (cont)
The FAA wants to know how you are going to show that the aircraft is in an airworthy (meets the FARs) condition after you install your system.

The STC Process

Type Certificate - Data that describes the aircraft, the limitations, and the FAR revision level. STC - Supplemental Type Certificate is essentially a change to the TC. A change by Your Company must comply with the information in the TC and result in an airworthy aircraft.

The STC Process

Step 1: Sales sells a new product or an old product in a new aircraft (new to Your Company)

The STC Process (cont)

Step 2: Engineering creates a certification plan (this tells the FAA Your Companys plan of how you are going to make the aircraft airworthy after you change it).

The STC Process (cont)

Step 3: Submit the certification plan to the FAA for approval. The FAA has X number of days to approve/change your plan. Step 4: Engineering creates all the reports, drawings and tests to demonstrate compliance with each section of the FARs identified in the certification plan.

The STC Process (cont)

Examples:
25.561 (Emergency Landing Conditions)
Pull Test-Build Prototype and pull test Comparison-This is the same as.... Analysis-Stress Engineers model and calculate.

25.609 (Protection of Structure)

You might add finish instructions to drawings (anodize or powder coat)

The STC Process (cont)

Examples:
25.785 (e)(f) (Seats, Berths...)
Analysis or test for a 170 lb person By the way (Part 23 is 215 lbs)

25.853 Compartment Interiors (Flammability)

Create samples and send out for testing

The STC Process (cont)

Examples:
25.1309(b)(1): Create a failures modes and effect analysis (FMEA) 25.1353(a): Perform an Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) test.

The STC Process (cont)

Step 4: Engineering creates reports... Who says that the report, drawing or test actually demonstrates compliance with that particular FAR section?

The STC Process (cont)

Step 5: Design data approval. The FAA is the only person that can say yes your test, report, comparison demonstrates compliance with that FAR section. Remember, you have to show that Your Companys product meets the requirements of each FAR section so the aircraft will be Airworthy.

The STC Process (cont)

Step 5 (cont): Design data approval. The FAA can only handle about 5% of their requests for approval of design data. So the FAA then created the designee system. A Designated Engineering Representative (DER) is a person designated by the FAA to act on their behalf to approve design data. DERs have specialty areas.

The STC Process (cont)

Step 5 (cont): Design data approval. A DER uses an 8110-3 form to communicate to the FAA that a report, drawing or test meets the requirements of a particular FAR section. This is not approval of the entire installation.

The STC Process (cont)

Step 5 (cont): Design data approval. A DER cannot approve the physical installation--thats a designated manufacturing inspection representative (DMIR) see PMA manual.

The STC Process (cont)

Step 6: After all the design data is approved by a DER you submit the package to the FAA. If they approve the data--then they give you permission to install a prototype in an aircraft.

The STC Process (cont)

Step 7: Conformity Inspection: After installation, the DMIR/DAR conforms the installation. Verifies that the installation matches the drawings. Step 8: Conduct any tests (EMI, Functional) Step 9: Interior Compliance (Normally by the FAA.) Do you block exits, head strike, aisle width, placards?

The STC Process (cont)

Step 10: Update the paperwork and then do a final submittal to the FAA.

The STC Process (cont)

The FAA issues you an STC for a particular model aircraft. Your Company can now install this STC on any aircraft of this type!

Other Comments
Olympic Aero Services considers the FAA as a valuable partner and we strive to continually foster our relationship with the FAA based on trust, integrity, and excellence. Olympic Aero Services can provide all the help and support you need to get your idea STCd. Please call us at 253.222.7086 or visit us on the web at www.faastc.com.