Terminology related to UK CAA & FAA - EASA Bi-Lateral Agreements

Sofema Online (SOL) www.sofemaonline.com looks at the various terms related to the codes or other certification specifications governing the design and performance of civil aeronautical products and articles.

“Amended Type Certificate (ATC)” means a design change made by the TC holder that requires an amendment to the TC and the Type Certification Data Sheet (TCDS).

“Appliance” means any instrument, mechanism, equipment, part, apparatus, appurtenance, or accessory, including communications equipment, that is used or intended to be used in operating or controlling an aircraft in flight, is installed in or attached to the aircraft, and is not part of an airframe, aircraft engine, or propeller.

Certificating Authority (CA): means the Technical Agent of the exporting Party that issues a Design Certificate for a civil aeronautical product in its capacity as an authority carrying out the State of Design responsibilities set out in Annex 8 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (hereinafter referred to as “Chicago Convention”).

Certification Basis” consists of the applicable airworthiness and environmental requirements established by a certificating or validating authority as the basis by which the type design for a civil aeronautical Product, or a change to that type design was approved or accepted. The certification basis may also include special conditions, equivalent levels of safety findings, and exemptions or deviations when determined to apply to the TC. For the CAA, the certification basis includes Operational Suitability Data (OSD) requirements.

Compliance Determination” means the determination, by either the certificating authority’s (CA’s) system or the validating authority’s (VA’s) system, that the applicant has demonstrated compliance with identified, individual airworthiness and environmental standards.

“Concurrent Certification” means a process whereby the certification applicant requests validation of the product at the same time as certification is conducted by the CA.

Certification Review Item (CRI)” means a document describing an item that requires disposition prior to the issuance of a TC, change to TC approval, or Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) by the CAA.

“Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” (ICA) means the maintenance data produced by the design approval holder to assure the continued airworthiness of that product or article.

 “Minor Design Change” means a change that has no appreciable effect on the weight, balance, structural strength, reliability, operational characteristics, or other characteristics affecting the airworthiness of the product.

“Non-TSO Function” means a function that is not covered by a TSO-approved minimum performance standard, does not support or affect the hosting article’s TSO function(s), and could technically be implemented outside of the TSO article.

Operational Suitability Data (OSD): means the required set of data to support and allow the type-specific operational aspects of certain types of aircraft that are regulated under the regulatory system for civil aviation safety of the European Union or of the United Kingdom. It must be designed by the type certificate (TC) applicant or holder for the aircraft and be part of the TC. Under the regulatory system for civil aviation safety of the European Union or of the United Kingdom, an initial application for a TC or restricted TC shall include, or be subsequently supplemented by, the application for approval of operational suitability data, as applicable to the aircraft type.

“Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA)” means a combined design and production approval issued for modification or replacement articles. It allows a manufacturer to produce and sell these articles for installation on type certificated/validated products.

UK Part 21: means the requirements and procedures for the certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, and of design and production organisations laid down in Annex I to Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 in force and effect in UK law pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and amended by The Aviation Safety (Amendment, etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

Validating Authority (VA): means the Technical Agent of the importing Party that accepts or validates a Design Certificate issued by the Certificating Authority.

Validation Work Plan (VWP): means the document used for validations that outlines and documents the VA level of involvement.

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