The comment period on the FAA’s proposed changes to Part 23 certification regulations governing very light jets (VLJs) has closed, and commenters on the proposal submitted approximately 30 opinions about the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Growth in the VLJ market segment was spurred by engine manufacturers’ development of small turbofan engines, and new regulations are needed to address issues that were not contemplated when Part 23 was originally written.
The new rules are aimed at easing the burden on FAA engineers during certification of jets under Part 23 regulations. The current workload involves too much processing of exemptions, establishment of special conditions and developing equivalent levels of safety findings. According to the FAA, the new rules would “standardize and simplify the certification of Part 23 turbojets; clarify areas of frequent non-standardization and misinterpretation, particularly for electronic equipment and system certification; and codify existing certification requirements in special conditions for new turbojets that incorporate new technologies.”
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