The STC Process Presented by: Olympic Aero Services Inc. www.faastc.com

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The STC ProcessPresented by Olympic Aero
Services Inc.www.faastc.com
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Introduction

• The FAA and Your Company
• Does Your Company have to make a safe or an
  airworthy product?
• Airworthiness/FARs
• The path to airworthiness. The STC process.

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The FAA and Your Company

• Your Company could manufacture a variety of
  items.
• Fortunately/Unfortunately the majority of these
  are installed in aircraft.

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The FAA and Your Company(cont)

• If you modify an aircraft...the FAA must approve
  every aspect
• The design
• Electrical, Structural
• Manufacturing
• Does the product match the design?
• Others?

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Question?

• Does Your Company have to make a product that
  is safe when installed or airworthy when
  installed?

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Answer

• The answer is both.
• Safe - When installed will not cause harm to the
  aircraft or the operator.
• Airworthy - When installed the entire aircraft
  complies with the Federal Aviation Regulations
  (FAR). Several portions of the FARs address
  safety--if airworthy, it is safe.

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Federal Aviation Regulations(FARs)

• Describes how an aircraft should be designed,
  manufactured and maintained.
• EngineeringDesign
• ProductionManufacturing
• MaintainCustomer

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Parts 23,25,27,29

• Part 21 (see the PMA Manual)
• Part 23 small aircraft (172, 182)
• Part 25 Transport Category ( 747, GV)
• Part 27 small helicopters (Astar, Bell 206)
• Part 29 Transport Category (Bell 412)

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FARs (cont)

• Within each part are broad categories
• Flight loads
• Flammability
• Electrical Equipment
• Mechanical
• Interiors

Flammability.
Flight Loads
Structure
Electrical
Interiors
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FARs (cont)

• The FAA wants to know how you are going to show
  that the aircraft is in an airworthy (meets the
  FARs) condition after you install your system.

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The STC Process

• Type Certificate - Data that describes the
  aircraft, the limitations, and the FAR revision
  level.
• STC - Supplemental Type Certificate is
  essentially a change to the TC. A change by
  Your Company must comply with the information
  in the TC and result in an airworthy aircraft.

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The STC Process

• Step 1 Sales sells a new product or an old
  product in a new aircraft (new to Your Company)

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 2 Engineering creates a certification plan
  (this tells the FAA Your Companys plan of how
  you are going to make the aircraft airworthy
  after you change it).

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 3 Submit the certification plan to the FAA
  for approval. The FAA has X number of days to
  approve/change your plan.
• Step 4 Engineering creates all the reports,
  drawings and tests to demonstrate compliance with
  each section of the FARs identified in the
  certification plan.

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The STC Process (cont)

• Examples
• 25.561 (Emergency Landing Conditions)
• Pull Test-Build Prototype and pull test
• Comparison-This is the same as....
• Analysis-Stress Engineers model and calculate.
• 25.609 (Protection of Structure)
• You might add finish instructions to drawings
  (anodize or powder coat)

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The STC Process (cont)

• Examples
• 25.785 (e)(f) (Seats, Berths...)
• Analysis or test for a 170 lb person
• By the way (Part 23 is 215 lbs)
• 25.853 Compartment Interiors (Flammability)
• Create samples and send out for testing

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The STC Process (cont)

• Examples
• 25.1309(b)(1) Create a failures modes and effect
  analysis (FMEA)
• 25.1353(a) Perform an Electro-Magnetic
  Interference (EMI) test.

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 4 Engineering creates reports...
• Who says that the report, drawing or test
  actually demonstrates compliance with that
  particular FAR section?

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 5 Design data approval. The FAA is the
  only person that can say yes your test,
  report, comparison demonstrates compliance with
  that FAR section. Remember, you have to show
  that Your Companys product meets the
  requirements of each FAR section so the aircraft
  will be Airworthy.

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 5 (cont) Design data approval. The FAA
  can only handle about 5 of their requests for
  approval of design data. So the FAA then created
  the designee system.
• A Designated Engineering Representative (DER) is
  a person designated by the FAA to act on their
  behalf to approve design data. DERs have
  specialty areas.

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 5 (cont) Design data approval. A DER uses
  an 8110-3 form to communicate to the FAA that a
  report, drawing or test meets the requirements of
  a particular FAR section. This is not approval
  of the entire installation.

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 5 (cont) Design data approval. A DER
  cannot approve the physical installation--thats
  a designated manufacturing inspection
  representative (DMIR) see PMA manual.

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 6 After all the design data is approved by
  a DER you submit the package to the FAA. If they
  approve the data--then they give you permission
  to install a prototype in an aircraft.

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 7 Conformity Inspection After
  installation, the DMIR/DAR conforms the
  installation. Verifies that the installation
  matches the drawings.
• Step 8 Conduct any tests (EMI, Functional)
• Step 9 Interior Compliance (Normally by the
  FAA.) Do you block exits, head strike, aisle
  width, placards?

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The STC Process (cont)

• Step 10 Update the paperwork and then do a final
  submittal to the FAA.

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The STC Process (cont)

• The FAA issues you an STC for a particular model
  aircraft. Your Company can now install this STC
  on any aircraft of this type!

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Other Comments

• Olympic Aero Services considers the FAA as a
  valuable partner and we strive to continually
  foster our relationship with the FAA based on
  trust, integrity, and excellence.
• Olympic Aero Services can provide all the help
  and support you need to get your idea STCd.
  Please call us at 253.222.7086 or visit us on the
  web at www.faastc.com.