AIA NAS9945 ✓ Most Recent [ Active ]

NAS9945 is intended to support United States (US) aviation and aerospace education programs, colleges and universities, and design, manufacturing and/or maintenance organizations in developing and implementing airworthiness training for engineering students, engineers and Airworthiness Professionals (AWPs) (Airworthiness Engineers (AWEs) and Airworthiness Specialists (AWS)) involved with the certification and/or Continued & Continuing Airworthiness of aircraft. This document identifies guidelines, expectations, and curricula for these entities (and/or similar entities) to provide high quality training and education with the goal of enhancing aviation safety, increasing effectiveness of certification processes, and improving operational performance of organizations involved with certification of and/or Continued & Continuing Airworthiness of aircraft.

This document establishes consensus-based minimum guidelines for educating and training personnel expected to function in the capacity of ensuring that aircraft and stores (see definition) are fit to operate and comply with relevant aviation standards, requirements, policies, and regulations in regard to airworthiness.

Implementation of this document is expected to improve overall understanding of the certification / continuing airworthiness lifecycle and associated regulatory requirements among industry engineers and related professionals. It is envisioned that conducting training, developed based on this document, by organizations serving both civilian and military airworthiness professionals (AWP) will lead to improved consistency and interoperability of expectations and approvals associated with type design and substantiating data.

For colleges and universities, this document supports establishing airworthiness programs that result in Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS) degrees, or Certificates, that promote airworthiness competency (see Appendix A). It also offers the ability of aircraft manufacturers and other organizations to issue certificate classes or programs for team members who complete training that meets the intent of this document.

This standard, in conjunction with its child standards, provides a comprehensive set of topics that are important to building airworthiness competence in government, academia, and industry. It provides guidance on the qualifications and traits of an airworthiness professional and the typical career progression for the design and evaluation of training and education programs. Industry professionals completing degree or certificate programs developed in accordance with this Standard may be eligible for FAA endorsement or recognition.

While this document is directed toward US individuals and organizations, international individuals and organizations may find this document useful for implementation to satisfy objectives of international regulators.

Purpose

It is anticipated that academia, certification authorities, individuals, and organizations involved with design, manufacture and repair of aircraft will voluntarily utilize and implement the recommendations of this document.

In order for voluntary implementation of this document to be successful and accepted by education providers, the FAA, DoD, and/or other regulatory agencies, curricula developed and courses delivered are expected to result in advanced understanding of the overall certification and airworthiness life cycle as well as specific processes and requirements used by regulatory agencies, delegated organizations and individuals.

FAA Regulations, Orders, Advisory Circulars (AC) and Notices provide the regulatory infrastructure for civil aviation design and production certification, as well as for Continued & Continuing Airworthiness. Foundational regulations and orders that define requirements for both industry and the FAA include, for example:

— 14 CFR Part 21, Certification Procedures for Products and Articles 

— 14 CFR Part 23, Airworthiness Standards: Normal, Utility, Acrobatic and Commuter Category Airplanes 

— 14 CFR Part 25, Airworthiness Standards: Transport Category Airplanes 

— 14 CFR Part 26, Continued Airworthiness and Safety Improvements for Transport Category Airplanes 

— 14 CFR Part 27, Airworthiness Standards: Normal Category Rotorcraft 

— 14 CFR Part 29, Airworthiness Standards: Transport Category Rotorcraft 

— 14 CFR Part 33, Airworthiness Standards: Aircraft Engines 

— 14 CFR Part 34, Exhaust Emissions 

— 14 CFR Part 35, Propellers 

— 14 CFR Part 36, Noise Standards: Aircraft Type and Airworthiness Certification 

— 14 CFR Part 38, Airplane Fuel Efficiency Certification 

— 14 CFR Part 39, Airworthiness Directives 

— 14 CFR Part 43, Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration 

— FAA Order 8110.4( ), Type Certification 

— FAA Order 8110.37( ), Designated Engineering Representative (DER) Handbook 

— FAA Order 8100.15( ), Organization Designation Authorization Procedures 

— FAA Order 8130.2, Airworthiness Certification of Aircraft

FAA Orders and Notices are directives that the FAA uses to issue policy, instructions and work information to its own personnel, designees and delegated organizations. These spell out how the FAA is expected to carry out its responsibilities. FAA ACs are non-regulatory documents produced by the FAA to inform and guide organizations and individuals within the aviation industry, as well as the general public.

The DoD recognizes the FAA system and uses this system to the maximum extent practical to certify and maintain aircraft used to transport personnel and/or equipment. These aircraft are commonly referred to as military / commercial derivative aircraft since they are based on previously FAA certified aircraft. The military is responsible for ensuring airworthiness of all aircraft (military as well as commercial derivative) in its inventory. Foundational airworthiness requirements associated with military aircraft include:

- FAA Order 8110.101( ), Type Certification Procedures for Military Commercial Derivative Aircraft 

- DoDI 5030.61, DoD Airworthiness Policy 

- MIL-HDBK-516, Airworthiness Certification Criteria 

- Air Force Policy Directive (AFPD) 62-6, USAF Airworthiness 

- Air Force Instruction (AFI) 62-601, USAF Airworthiness 

- NAVAIRINST 13034.1, Airworthiness and Cybersecurity Safety Policies for Air Vehicles and Aircraft Systems 

- AR 70-62, Airworthiness of Aircraft Systems 

- Army Military Airworthiness Certification Criteria (AMACC) 

- FAA AC 0.0-1B Public Aircraft Operations 

- FAA JO 7200.23D Processing of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Requests 

- AC 20-169 Guidance for Certification of Military and Special Mission Modifications and Equipment for Commercial Derivative Aircraft (CDA)

The Airworthiness Engineering Academic Curricula Standard, herein after referred to as NAS9945-1, defines curricula structure and suggested content for airworthiness engineering academic courses, certificates, and degree programs. It sets guidelines for proposed content inclusion within traditional engineering programs commonly depended upon by the aerospace community for supplying airworthiness talent needs and continuing education. To that extent, for established institutions that choose to do so, this standard presents an acceptable means for creating and offering airworthiness engineering educational content or curricula within existing and new academic engineering programs at colleges and universities in the US. The scope of NAS9945-1 includes:

— Curriculum Precepts and Accreditations 

— AWE as Undergraduate Curricula 

— AWE Graduate Programs 

— AWE Technology (AWET) Degree Programs 

— Certificate and professional programs 

— Faculty/Educators teaching in AWE and AWET Programs

The Civil Aviation Airworthiness Training Standard, hereinafter referred to as NAS9945-2, provides instructional content guidance focused on civil aviation for colleges and universities in the US with the aim of providing guidance for educating engineering students in the concepts and principles of aircraft certification and airworthiness engineering. As a second aim, NAS9945-2 focuses on certification and airworthiness training for professional advancement of working engineers and technicians in the aerospace community who are involved with the certification and continuing airworthiness of civilian aircraft through the activities of design, manufacturing, and/or maintenance. The scope of this document is FAA certification and airworthiness related topics associated with:

— Certification Procedures for Products and Articles under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 21 

— Normal category airplanes under 14 CFR part 23 

— Transport category airplanes under 14 CFR part 25 

— Normal category rotorcraft under 14 CFR part 27 

— Transport category rotorcraft under 14 CFR part 29 

— Manned free balloons under 14 CFR part 31 

— Aircraft engines under 14 CFR part 33 

— Propellers under 14 CFR part 35 

— Maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alterations under 14 CFR Part 43 

— Aircraft for which FAA airworthiness standards have not been issued

The Military / Defense Airworthiness Training Standard, hereinafter referred to as NAS9945-3, provides instructional content guidance for AWEs for colleges and universities in the US with the aim of providing guidance for educating engineering students in the concepts and principles of military and military commercial derivative aircraft (MCDA) certification and airworthiness engineering. Training for engineers working with MCDA encompass the instructional content in both NAS9945-2 and NAS9945-3. Secondly, NAS9945-3 provides content and guidelines for certification and airworthiness training for professional advancement of working engineers and technicians in the aerospace community who are involved with the certification and continuing airworthiness of military aircraft through the activities of design, manufacturing, and/or maintenance. And thirdly, for airworthiness accreditation and certification bodies, NAS9945-3 provides a means by which AWEs’ fundamentals can be assessed, continuing education and/or direct airworthiness experience can be recorded, and by which after an appropriate period of experience, a professional level of airworthiness knowledge can be assessed and certified.

NAS9945-4, when issued, will define general and specific requirements associated with specific emerging technologies, as appropriate.

NOTE: Additional standards may be developed to support emerging technologies that require specific considerations not covered by this or the above mentioned standards.