Flight Design Safety Directives... and You (USA owners)

[Anticept]

Corey thanks for the response.  There are references made to ASTM documents.  The CTLS AOI refers to F2295.  This costs $44 to obtain.  There is another, F2339, which my CTSW AOI refers to.  My CTSW AOI does not refer to F2295.  I have not obtained either of these.

 

You indicate, "The FAA requires that decisions regarding limitations placed on an aircraft be in the ASTM".  Can you give me a reference where I might find this statement?  As I said this is a learning experience for me.  As many others, I am almost totally in the dark regarding how the FAA and the ASTM have set up the LSA rules.  Also, those whom I talked to at the FAA made no reference and did not suggest that I need to go to the ASTM to find rules pertaining to the Rotax TBO.  The comments I got were basically, "we don't require anything regarding maintenance other than use acceptable standard  practices".   There remains other FAA people I can contact.  I originally contacted the FAA maintenance section in Washington. The receptionist I reached recommended that I contact my local FSDO but said to call back if I don't get my questions answered.   I'll continue to keep digging into this.  It would sure be nice if there might be someone from the FAA lurking on the forum who might anonymously provide some words of wisdom here. 

 

 

This isn't directly stated, rather it is inferred. As an example in standard airworthiness aircraft, the only way that a manufacturer can make a part "life limited", is through an approved airworthiness document. Items such as ADs, or an FAA APPROVED chapter 6 "airworthiness limitations" section of the POH/AFM (if it's following the ATA-100 code) are examples. It's approved when it has a signature and stamp of the appropriate FAA official. Note: this is for part 91 operations! Everything becomes required once you start acting "for hire" (flight instruction is not considered "for hire"), such as cargo or passenger ops.

 

The FAA treats light sport certification the same way. The manufacturer is responsible for ensuring continued airworthiness to the appropriate consensus standard. The airworthiness limitations section in an LSA's manual is supposedly pulled out of the ASTM. It's not the FAA's job to enforce manufacturer's arbitrary rules; there must be a safety basis.

 

https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/light_sport/media/StandardsChart.pdf- the standard you are referring to appears to be for recip engines.

[Runtoeat]

Thanks Corey - for the reply and chart.