EASA CS-VLA is the European Aviation Safety Agency Certification Specification for Very Light Aircraft .
48-510: The Very Light Aircraft (VLA) aircraft certification category introduced in 2003 by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is intended to make it easier and less costly to get full European certification, operation and maintenance of a general aviation aircraft. The somewhat relaxed certification procedure is available for aircraft satisfying the following criteria: The main part of professional pilots training
96-583: A few examples. They are referred to as "Annex I" aeroplanes (formerly known as "Annex II" aeroplanes), and are listed on the EASA website. In July 2017, EASA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore entered into a working arrangement to recognize each other's certifications. The agency defines several classes of aircraft, each with their own ruleset for certification and maintenance and repair. EASA established safety levels according to
144-516: A new variant may require re-certification. Again the basic process of type certifications is repeated (including maintenance programs). However, unaltered items from the basic design need not be retested. Normally, one or two of the original prototype fleet are remanufactured to the new proposed design. As long as the new design does not deviate too much from the original, static airframes do not need to be built. The resultant new prototypes are again subjected to flight tests. Upon successful completion of
192-740: A particular type design. ADs are used by the certifying authority to notify aircraft owners and operators of unsafe conditions and to require their correction. ADs prescribe the conditions and limitations, including inspection, repair, or alteration under which the product may continue to be operated. With increasing in-service experience, the type certificate holder may find ways to improve the original design resulting in either lower maintenance costs or increased performance. These improvements (normally involving some alterations) are suggested through service bulletins to an aircraft owners/operators as optional (and may be extra cost) items. The owner/operator shall exercise their discretion whether or not to incorporate
240-426: A risk hierarchy. For non-commercial operations, a set of rules were developed to achieve safety goals. EASA difference non-commercial operations between non-commercial operations other than complex aircraft (NCO) and non-commercial operations with complex motor-powered aircraft. EASA has started to introduce basic regulations for unmanned aircraft (drones) which are divided between open category (no operational approval
288-702: A working level directly with its counterparts around the world such as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). EASA also sets policy for aeronautical repair stations (Part 145 organisations in Europe and the US, also known as Part 571 organisations in Canada) and issues repair station certificates for repair stations located outside the EU, which permit foreign repair stations to perform work that
336-538: Is acceptable to the EU on its aircraft). EASA has developed regulations for air operations, flight crew licensing and non-EU aircraft used in the EU, which applied since the required European legislation to expand the agency's remit entered into force. The legislation was published on 19 March 2008. EASA has had its scope enlarged, as part of the new delegation in 2018, to also cover UAVs . The first 2 regulations (EU DR 2019-945 & EU IR 947) for drones were effective by 30 December 2019 in order for them to also cover
384-442: Is available. An STC is less expensive because the design change can be developed by a specialized design organization, a generally more flexible and efficient process than going through the original manufacturer. The STC defines the product design change, states how the modification affects the existing type design, and lists serial numbers of the aircraft affected. It also identifies the certification basis for regulatory compliance for
432-801: Is done on EASA CS-23 specification, which also allows for flying under IFR and NVFR conditions. This aviation -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . European Aviation Safety Agency The European Union Aviation Safety Agency ( EASA ) is an agency of the European Commission with responsibility for civil aviation safety in the European Union . It carries out certification , regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monitoring. It collects and analyses safety data, drafts and advises on safety legislation and co-ordinates with similar organisations in other parts of
480-425: Is in compliance with applicable airworthiness requirements established by the national air law . For up to three seats, primary category aircraft certification costs around US$ 1 million, US$ 25 million for a general aviation aircraft and hundreds of millions of dollars for a commercial aircraft ; certification delays can cost millions of dollars and can decide a program's profitability. A type certificate (TC)
528-446: Is issued by the aircraft operator and approved by the regulatory authority of the state of registry to maintain the airworthiness of the aircraft of the type owned by the operator. Maintenance tasks outlined in the maintenance program have to be scheduled and timely accomplished in order for the airworthiness certificate of their aircraft to remain valid. Other continuing airworthiness activities include additional tasks associated with
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#1732797397933576-568: Is issued for each aircraft that is properly registered if it conforms to its type design and ready for safe operation. The CoA is valid and the aircraft may be operated as long as it is maintained in accordance with the rules issued by the regulatory authority. The concept of a 'type certificate' was introduced by the "Air Navigation Regulations" published in May 1919 by the UK's Secretary of State for Air , Winston Churchill . The Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster
624-460: Is issued to signify the airworthiness of the approved design or "type" of an aircraft to be manufactured. The TC is issued by a regulatory authority, and once issued, the design cannot be changed unless at least part of the process for certification is repeated to cover the changes. The TC reflects a determination made by a regulatory authority that the type design is in compliance with airworthiness requirements. Examples of regulatory authorities are
672-492: Is of paramount importance. This is because the European Union has been increasingly strengthening EASA's role, giving the agency independence. A discussion regarding the permission for the agency to impose financial penalties for safety violations is also underway. EASA is responsible for new type certificates and other design-related airworthiness approvals for aircraft, engines, propellers and parts. EASA works with
720-666: Is proposing to further expand EASA mandate to act the European Performance Review Board, with a clear separation of National Supervisory Agencies and Air Navigation Service Providers In 2012, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) found that the agency did not have an agency-specific conflict of interest policy and procedures. EASA did not obtain or assess the declarations of interest for staff, management board, board of appeal and experts. In its report, ECA declared that: The worst performer among
768-431: Is required), specific category (requires risk-based operational authorization), and certified category, where pilots needs a license and operators receive a certificate. Type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design ( type design ). Certification confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production
816-781: The A340-600 which is based on the Airbus A340-200 and the A340-300. Any additions, omissions or alterations to the aircraft's certified layout, built-in equipment, airframe and engines, initiated by any party other than the type certificate holder, need an approved supplementary ("supplemental" in FAA terminology) type certificate, or STC. The scope of an STC can be extremely narrow or broad. It could include minor modifications to passenger cabin items or installed instruments. More substantial modifications may involve engine replacement, as in
864-503: The Basic Regulation (Regulation 2018/1139). These states are members of the management board, but do not have voting rights. While the legal basis is different for states which are members of the EU and those who are not, the EASA has the same power for all states who participate in the arrangement. There are also working relationships with other regional and international authorities. For example, EASA cooperates with most of
912-664: The Blackhawk modifications to Cessna Conquest and Beechcraft King Air turboprops , or a complete role change for the aircraft, such as converting a B-17 or Stearman into an agricultural aircraft. STCs are applied due to either the type certificate holder's refusal (frequently due to economics) or its inability to meet some owners' requirements. STCs are frequently raised for out-of-production aircraft types conversions to fit new roles. Before STCs are issued, procedures similar to type certificate changes for new variants are followed, likely including thorough flight tests. STCs belong to
960-426: The EASA is not a membership organization. All states which are a member of the EU also take part in EASA's services and are subject to oversight by EASA. It is not possible to opt out of the arrangement. Those European countries which are not members of the EU but members of EFTA , namely Liechtenstein , Norway , Switzerland , and Iceland , have been granted participation to the arrangement under Article 129 of
1008-485: The EU member states' civil aviation authorities (CAAs) but has taken over many of their functions in the interest of aviation standardisation across the EU and in the non-EU member Turkey. EASA is also responsible for assisting the European Commission in negotiating international harmonisation agreements with the "rest of the world" on behalf of the EU member states, and it concludes technical agreements at
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#17327973979331056-561: The EU's Eastern Partnership member states through EASA's Pan-European Partners (PANEP) initiative in which countries such as Armenia , Azerbaijan , Georgia , Moldova and Ukraine co-operate on the implementation of EU aviation safety rules and comprehensive aviation agreements. Source: Prior to the UK's withdrawal from the EU , the UK Civil Aviation Authority was an EASA member-state. On 28 September 2003,
1104-499: The STC holder and are generally more restrictive than type certificate changes. The TC holder remains responsible for the continued integrity of the approved aircraft type design and must continue to be the focal point for resolving issues that may require corrective action. This requires the continued capability, or access to a capability, of providing appropriate technical solutions for service difficulties or mandatory corrective action. If
1152-748: The UK (Brexit). The agency publishes an annual safety review with statistics on European and worldwide civil aviation safety. Some information derives from the International Civil Aviation Organization and the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute . In June 2020, EASA banned Pakistan International Airlines from flying to Europe after a fatal crash in May caused by pilot error. An investigation discovered that one third of pilot licenses in Pakistan are fraudulent. As an EU agency ,
1200-586: The United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Transport Canada , Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). When changes are needed to an airframe or on-board equipment, there are two options. One is to initiate a modification by the type design holder (manufacturer), and
1248-440: The agency took over responsibility for the airworthiness and environmental certification of all aeronautical products, parts, and appliances designed, manufactured, maintained or used by persons under the regulatory oversight of EU Member States. Certain categories of aeroplanes are however deliberately left outside EASA responsibility, thus remaining under control of the national CAAs: ultralights, experimentals, and balloons are
1296-552: The agency. The United Kingdom was a member until the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020. The responsibilities of the agency include the analysis and research of safety parameters, authorizing foreign operators, and advising the European Commission on the drafting of EU legislation . It also implements and monitors safety rules (including inspections in the member states), gives type certification of aircraft and components, and approves organisations involved in
1344-452: The applicable Minimum Operating Performance Standards (MOPS) applicable to that sub-assembly. MOPS are published by expert industry groups such as: RTCA Inc., EUROCAE, and SAE. When aircraft are produced to meet a given TC, each one need not be tested as rigorously but the confidence demonstrated by the TC is conferred, when the aircraft has been assigned a certificate of airworthiness (CoA). A CoA
1392-420: The applicant firm also draws up maintenance program to support continuous airworthiness after approval of the design. The program is drawn with inputs from tests results and also from initial customers' engineering departments. The proposed maintenance program is submitted to the regulators for comment and approval. After successful completion of ground and flight tests, along with an approved maintenance program,
1440-469: The applicant would have to change the design as a result of changed regulation. An initial design sample known as a prototype is built. This refers to either the aircraft, the engines or the propeller, depending on the basis of the certification. For the purpose of illustration, the discussion shall be limited to the aircraft. Normally a few prototypes are built, each subject to different tests. The prototypes are first used for ground and system tests. One of
1488-509: The bulletins and report the decision to the regulatory authority of the state of the aircraft registry. Sometimes SBs can become mandated by relevant ADs. Often the basic design is enhanced further by the type certificate holder. Major changes beyond the authority of the service bulletins require amendments to the type certificate. For example, increasing (or decreasing) an aircraft's flight performance, range and load carrying capacity by altering its systems, fuselage, wings or engines resulting in
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1536-526: The certification program, the original type certificate is amended to include the new variant (normally denoted by a new model number additional to the original type designation). Typical examples are; the Boeing 737NG (737-600, 737-700, 737-800 and 737-900) which replaced the 737 Original family (737-100 and 737-200) and the 737 Classic family (737-300, 737-400 and 737-500) and the Airbus A340-500 and
1584-428: The design change. The TC implies that aircraft manufactured according to the approved design can be issued an airworthiness certificate . To meet those requirements the aircraft and each sub-assembly must also be approved. For example, in the U.S. these sub-assemblies must meet requirements in the applicable Technical Standards Order (TSO). To meet those requirements the design documents are examined for compliance with
1632-424: The design, manufacture and maintenance of aeronautical products. As part of Single European Sky II (SES-II), an initiative to standardize and coordinate all air traffic control over the EU, the agency has been given additional tasks, which were implemented before 2013. Since 4 December 2012, EASA is able to certify functional airspace blocks if more than three parties are involved. The EU commission
1680-406: The final approval of such documents (after the required comments and amendments in order to fulfill the laws), becomes the basis of the certification. The firm follows it and draws a proposed timetable of actions required for certification tests. With the application, the regulations to be applied will usually be frozen for this application for a given amount of time in order to avoid a situation where
1728-500: The four was the EASA, based in Cologne, which failed in all four areas that the report analyzed – on experts, staff, management board, and board of appeals. It was recommended that the organization adopt its own ethical standards because the then-existing condition exposed the agency to a substantial crisis of credibility as well as the incidence of favoritism and conflict of interest. For member-countries and other stakeholders, fairness
1776-476: The frames outlined in a TC data sheet, and each given a serial number (a "series aircraft"). As the aircraft enters into service, it is subject to operational wear and tear which may cause performance degradations. The set of processes by which an aircraft, engine, propeller or part complies with the applicable airworthiness requirements and remains in a condition for safe operation throughout its operating life called continuing airworthiness . A maintenance program
1824-452: The holder is no longer capable or if the TC is transferred to another holder a regulatory authority should take appropriate action in accordance with the national legislation. In the case of the TC being transferred to another holder the new holder shall be capable of fulfilling the TC holder responsibilities in following ADs and providing technical support to keep the type design current with the applicable airworthiness requirements, even after
1872-504: The maintenance program and design changes to be accomplished via: Sometimes during service, the aircraft may encounter problems that may compromise the aircraft's safety, which are not anticipated or detected in prototype testing stages. The aircraft design is thus compromised. The regulators will now issue an airworthiness directive to the type certificate holder and to all owners globally. The directives normally consists of additional maintenance or design actions that are necessary to restore
1920-412: The other is to request a third party Supplemental type certificate (STC). The choice is determined by considering whether or not the change constitutes a new design (i.e. introduces risk not considered in the first type design). If so, then type design holder must develop and approve a modification to the type design. If the regulatory authority agrees the change does not introduce new risk, the STC option
1968-423: The production of the aircraft type has stopped but many out-of-production aircraft continue useful lives. STCs are also bound by the same rules. When the holder decides to stop supporting the aircraft type without the transfer of TC holder responsibilities, the TC is returned to the issuing regulatory authority and the remaining aircraft fleet can be grounded by the current states of registry until further decisions on
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2016-399: The prototype is approved, and the firm is granted the TC for the prototype (as understood that it should include all furnished equipment for its intended role). The legal term for the firm is now the "type certificate holder". Subsequently, the prototype now serves as a template for serial aircraft production and the aircraft rolling out of the factory should be identical to the prototype within
2064-548: The prototypes (known as the "static airframe") is subject to destructive testing, i.e., the prototype is subject to stress beyond normal and abnormal operations until destruction. The test-results are compared with initial submitted calculations to establish the ultimate structural strength. Other prototypes will undergo other systems tests until the satisfaction of the regulators. With all ground tests completed, prototypes are made ready for flight tests. The flight tests are flown by specially approved flight test pilots who will fly
2112-404: The prototypes to establish the ultimate flight limits which should be within the airworthiness rules. If a long range airliner is tested, the flight tests may cover the whole world. Tests may also cover different environments - high and low altitude, freezing and hot climates, and so on, to confirm correct performance throughout the aircraft's design envelope . In parallel with aircraft testing,
2160-399: The type's airworthiness. Compliance is mandatory and thus if an operator does not comply with an AD, then the datum aircraft is not considered airworthy and further operation of the affected aircraft type would be unlawful , making the operator liable to legal action by the relevant national aviation authority, and rendering null-and-void any of the operator's insurance policies relating to
2208-479: The type, such as hull loss and accident third party coverage. ADs may also be raised with changes of the local or global aviation rules and requirements, e.g., the requirement to fit armored cockpit doors for all passenger airliners after the September 11 attacks . The certifying authority issues an AD when an unsafe condition is found to exist in a product (aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance) of
2256-644: The world. The idea of a European-level aviation safety authority goes back to 1996, but the agency was legally established only in 2002; it began its work in 2003. Based in Cologne , Germany, the agency was created on 15 July 2002 as the "European Aviation Safety Agency", and reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions of the Joint Aviation Authorities . It was renamed the "European Union Aviation Safety Agency" in 2018. European Free Trade Association countries participate in
2304-537: Was the first aircraft to receive a type certificate in the US, (i.e. A.T.C. No. 1) issued by the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce on March 29, 1927. Initially, the applicant design organisation submits documents to their local aviation regulating body, detailing how the proposed aircraft type design would fulfill the airworthiness requirements. After investigations by the regulator,
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