Mar 09, 2009

ASTM International Committee F37 on Light Sport Aircraft is currently at work on a proposed new standard that will aid light sport aircraft manufacturers in understanding the standardization system that governs their products. ASTM WK22124, Guide for Compliance with Light Sport Airplane Standards, is under the jurisdiction of the F37.20 Airplane subcommittee.

According to Thomas Gunnarson, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, and F37 secretary, the proposed standard will aid the industry in understanding how to use applicable LSA standards to meet applicable regulatory requirements. Manufacturing and distribution personnel who are responsible for assuring conformity to processes and procedures outlined in F37 standards would use WK22124. 

Current FAA regulations require a manufacturer’s declaration of compliance to industry consensus standards, which puts responsibility on manufacturers to adhere to the system without traditional FAA oversight found in manufacturing of Type Certified aircraft. WK22124 will provide manufacturers with the means for understanding how standardization is involved in light sport aircraft manufacturing and will help define what is behind the Statement of Compliance. 

“The proposed guide will be a sort of cookbook providing direction and reference so that an interested party could clearly see the steps involved with LSA compliance and be made fully aware of the responsibilities the manufacturer and personnel assume when they become involved in the process,” says Gunnarson.

Gunnarson notes that the standardized set of guidelines that will be contained in WK22124 will provide a common resource for aviation authorities investigating any part of the compliance process for a particular light sport aircraft.  “The proposed guide would be used to educate industry, aviation authorities and users on how to show conformity to ASTM standards and what kind of feedback loop is in place to monitor this activity,” says Gunnarson, who notes that regulators and industry representatives are welcome to join the task group in its ongoing work on WK22124.

For technical Information, contact Thomas Gunnarson, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Kansas City, Mo. (phone: 816-329-4186; thomas.gunnarson@faa.gov). Committee F37 meets March 30-April 1 in conjunction with AERO Friedrichshafen 2009 at the Messe Friedrichshafen Exhibition Grounds, Friedrichshafen, Germany.

ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. ASTM’s open consensus process, using advanced Internet-based standards development tools, ensures worldwide access for all interested individuals. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, please contact Daniel Schultz, ASTM International (phone: 610-832-9716; dschultz@astm.org).

Release #8198