Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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The FAA has proposed <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-25/pdf/2026-17298.pdf">special conditions</a> for certification of the Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada (P&amp;WC) PW220A engine featuring an idle cruise regime (ICR). The PW220A will have a unique design when installed in a twin-engine, transport-category helicopter, allowing one engine to power the aircraft during cruise while the other runs at a low-idle condition. Comments are due by Oct. 9, 2026.
Because airworthiness standards don’t address the ICR concept, the FAA proposed special conditions so the engine can meet a safety level equal to that of existing standards. P&amp;WC applied for certification on Nov. 16, 2021, and applied for an extension on May 7, 2025. The 2021 type certification basis still applies, although P&amp;WC will have to meet the special conditions.
The specific conditions apply because current regulations “do not contain the ICR definition and do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the type certification of these new and unusual engine ratings,” according to the FAA. This would include “ratings and limitations [that] are established for horsepower, torque, rpm, gas temperature, time duration, and number of occurrences for rated ICR active maximum continuous power and rated ICR 2-minute power.”
Other requirements involve the engine control system and its ability to recover engine operation automatically from ICR; induction icing at ICR; the ability to increase from ICR to 95% rated power in five seconds; hail and rain ingestion; and endurance and operation testing.

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FAA Proposes Special Conditions for P&WC PW220A Idle Cruise Regime

One engine would be able to run at low-idle in a twin-engine helicopter application

Because airworthiness standards don’t address the idle cruise regime concept, FAA proposed special conditions so the engine can meet an equivalent safety level.

FAA Proposes Special Conditions for PW220A Idle Cruise

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