The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) held a meeting Tuesday at Heli-Expo to share its experience with the government/industry working group designed to rewrite the certification rules for Part 23 fixed-wing aircraft and encourage the helicopter industry to apply the model for possible revision of the helicopter certification standards under Parts 27 and 29.
The 55-member Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) is making recommendations to the FAA and is co-chaired by GAMA and the FAA. Members include representatives of most major OEMs as well as aircraft regulators from Brazil, Canada, China, Europe and New Zealand. The initiative already has bipartisan political support. Last year, as part of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Congress directed the FAA to review the aircraft certification approval process, including Part 23 (Section 312).
