Warbird Information Exchange

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are the responsibility of the poster and do not reflect the views of the management.
It is currently Thu May 01, 2025 8:15 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:52 am 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm
Posts: 2923
From ANN:
Quote:
FAA Asks To Release Vintage Aircraft Certification Data Bill Would Release Info On Abandoned Aircraft To Owners

The EAA and the Vintage
Aircraft Association (VAA) have worked for years with FAA
regulators to obtain certification data for the owners of orphaned
aircraft who need it. Now, it appears those efforts are to finally
bear fruit.

The EAA has informed ANN the FAA this year has proposed
legislation in its reauthorization bill to allow the release of
abandoned type certificate (TC) or supplemental type certificate
(STC) data (including blueprints) to individuals upon request.

The FAA issues TCs or STCs based on data such as engineering
drawings and blueprints. The feds recognize the work necessary to
generate all that data is valuable, so the FAA won't release it to
anyone except the original certificate holder(s). The problem for
vintage aircraft owners comes when they need that data to perform
maintenance or make necessary modifications to their aircraft. Even
if the certificate holder is gone or unreachable the FAA isn't
legally allowed to release the engineering data.

The legislation proposed by the FAA would provide authority to
the Administrator to release engineering data it possesses
pertaining to an abandoned TC or STC for an aircraft, engine,
propeller, or appliance to any person seeking to maintain the
airworthiness of such a product. The legislation would also allow
the release of any associated supplier-approved data for that
product.

The EAA says the proposed law comes as a direct result of EAA
and VAA's ongoing dialogue with the senior FAA management team. The
association say the subject has been the topic of considerable
examination in recent years at the annual EAA/FAA Winter
Recreational Aviation Summit held in Oshkosh.

"We appreciate the FAA's willingness to work with EAA and EAA's
Vintage Aircraft Association as we improve the safe and cost
effective maintenance of vintage aircraft," said H.G. Frautschy,
the executive director of EAA's Vintage Aircraft Association. "This
proposed legislation will go a long way toward helping owners and
mechanics gather the information they need to maintain these
historic aircraft."

Under the proposal, data could be released under the following
conditions: The certificate containing the requested data is
inactive for at least three years; the TC owner of record, or the
owner of record's heir, cannot not be located; and the designation
of such data as public data will enhance aviation safety.

"Clearly, we do not want to impinge on the legitimate and legal
right of a TC or STC owner to maintain their data as proprietary
information and profit from that data provided they continue to
support the product," Frautschy explained. "However, for those
corporate entities that have been defunct for what is often
decades, and are no longer providing support to the owners of their
products, it falls squarely on the vintage aircraft owner to
maintain their aircraft in accordance with that original
engineering data."

Frautschy was quick to point out the FAA's proposal is only a
start. He says when known TC holders are unwilling to release
maintenance-related data, vintage aircraft owners receive no
Continued Operational Safety (COS) support of the Type Certificate,
as required by FAR 23.1529 and Appendix G to Part 23.

"EAA and it's Vintage
Aircraft Association will continue to work with the FAA and
Congress on this issue as they have recognized the difficulty
mechanics, restorers and owners have encountered while diligently
attempting to maintain vintage aircraft to their Type Certificate
requirements."

Both the EAA and VAA are encouraging their memberships to
contact their congressional representatives and urge support for
the proposal. Information regarding bill numbers and specifics will
be available on the websites for both organizations when it becomes
available.
FMI: www.eaa.org, www.vintageaircraft.org


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: A dream come true?
PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:59 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2005 1:01 pm
Posts: 895
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
This could mean that the Curtiss Wright and Travel Air archives would finally be open again. I sure hope this goes through. Sometimes I forget how important it is to have groups like the EAA representing us in Washington DC. I've got my fingers crossed.

_________________
Albert Stix Jr.
"Work is the curse of the drinking class"


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group