AEA Says NPRM Seeks To Reverse Established Guidelines
A new FAA Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking aims to amend the regulations for repair stations, by
revising the system of ratings and requiring repair stations to
establish a quality program.
The FAA also proposes significant additional changes to include
requiring a repair station to maintain a capability list,
designating a chief inspector, and having permanent housing for its
facilities, equipment, materials, and personnel.
Comments must be submitted before March 1, 2007.
In a release to Aero-News, the Aircraft Electronics Association
also states the new Avionics Rating would combine the Radio,
Instrument, and parts of the accessory ratings into a single
rating.
The proposed Avionics Rating would group together items that
operate electrically or electronically and that require a unique
set of skills not associated with other ratings. In addition, this
rating would allow repair stations to perform maintenance on
in-flight entertainment units or other electronic units, as
specified in their operations specifications.
In response to industry and ARAC recommendations, the FAA would
no longer issue limited ratings. Instead, the FAA would issue
limitations to the rating of a certificated repair station
governing maintenance or alterations on a particular type of
aircraft, powerplant, propeller, avionics, or component part.
The NPRM is a wide ranging proposal affecting each of the
following sections of the Repair Station regulations:
-
Sec. 145.51
Application for certificate.
- Sec. 145.53 Issuance of certificate.
- Sec. 145.59 Ratings.
- Sec. 145.61 Limitations to ratings.
- Sec. 145.63 Specialized Service ratings.
- Sec. 145.101 General.
- Sec. 145.103 Housing and facilities
requirements.
- Sec. 145.107 Satellite repair stations.
- Sec. 145.109 Equipment, tools, test apparatus,
materials, and data requirements.
- Sec. 145.151 Personnel requirements.
- Sec. 145.155 Inspection personnel
requirements.
- Sec. 145.161 Records of management, supervisory,
and inspection personnel.
- Sec. 145.203 Work performed at another
location.
- Sec. 145.205 Maintenance, preventive maintenance,
and alterations performed for certificate holders operating under
parts 121, 125, or 135, or for foreign air carriers or foreign
persons operating U.S.-registered aircraft in common carriage under
part 129.
- Sec. 145.211 Quality system.
- Sec. 145.215 Capability list.
- Sec. 145.217 Contract maintenance.
- Sec. 145.223 FAA inspections.
The AEA says it is concerned that the FAA has taken great
latitude from the original Repair Station NPRM and the work of the
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) and has proposed to
reverse many of the hard fought provisions of the current Part 145
regulation.