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02/03/03 - LSA STANDARDS MOVING QUICKLY; PPC STANDARDS FIRST TO EMERGE FROM ASTM COMMITTEES
February 3, 2003—The powered parachute (PPC) subcommittee is leading the way in developing the first consensus standards for the proposed new light-sport aircraft (LSA) category.
The various light-sport aircraft consensus standard subcommittees, working under the administration of ASTM International, are writing the standards for this new category of aircraft, as called for by FAA in the proposed sport pilot/light-sport aircraft rule.
“In just one year the powered-parachute subcommittee, ably led by Aero Sports Connection president Jim Stephenson, has developed standards that will be the first of a host of new benchmarks for this new category of aircraft,” said Earl Lawrence, EAA vice president of Government and Industry Relations and chairman of the ASTM light-sport aircraft committee.
Working at the ASTM Light-Sport Aircraft meeting held in Polk City, Florida, on January 28-29, the powered parachute subcommittee approved standards for design, quality assurance, product information, production acceptance testing, and continued airworthiness (service bulletins).
The PPC subcommittee then presented its standards to the main ASTM LSA Committee for approval. After discussion, the main committee also ratified those standards, with modification. Final balloting of the PPC standards could be completed by late March, making the standards final by the Sun ’n Fun EAA Fly-In, April 2-8, 2003. Once finalized, the published standards will be available from ASTM International within approximately six weeks.
The fixed-wing and weight-shift subcommittees also made significant progress on their standards during and after the Florida meetings. In mid-March, the fixed-wing subcommittee released four standards for balloting either within the subcommittee or concurrently to the subcommittee and main committee. Those standards are: design and performance specifications for LSA, continued operational safety monitoring of LSA, and quality assurance practices including final acceptance testing.
Both groups are optimistic that the required standards will be ready by the time Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft rules become final.
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