Field Approvals Top Discussion Between VAA, FAA Officials
January 29, 2008 - Ongoing concerns regarding the process of obtaining FAA Form 337 and STC field approvals, and ways to improve that process, were a major points of emphasis on Jan. 23 when senior FAA officials were in Oshkosh to meet with Vintage Aircraft Association officials at the EAA Aviation Center.
VAA executive director H.G. Frautschy and VAA board member Steve Krog represented the organization during the session, which came as part of the EAA/FAA Recreational Aviation Summit. This annual meeting, unmatched anywhere else in the aviation community, included key aviation issues such as general aviation safety, aircraft certification, flight standards, and aircraft operations for aerobatic, vintage, amateur-built, and warbird aircraft.
“The summit was both interesting and informative,” said Krog, who also leads Piper Cub, Taylorcraft and Luscombe type clubs. “Being able to ask candid questions of the top FAA officials and having them directly respond with detailed explanations certainly allows a layman to better understand the ‘Whys and Hows’ of FAA actions.”
Nick Sabatini, FAA Associate Administrator, led the FAA group that numbered more than a dozen agency officials. The group learned more about key vintage aircraft issues that affect VAA members.
VAA members have expressed concerns regarding the process of obtaining Field Approvals on FAA form 337s and STC approvals. In addition to problems related to delays in 337 processing, part of that issue is the confusion on the part of some owner/operators regarding the actual process of obtaining a 337 approval.
Kim Smith, Director of FAA’s Small Aircraft Directorate, and Jackie Black, Manager of FAA’s Repair Station Branch, both agreed that their offices would work in cooperation with the VAA staff to prepare web and print-based educational media to educate members in the process. Much of the media already exists within the FAA, so the process of preparing the materials should take place within the first half of 2008.
“Our needs and concerns for safely restoring, maintaining and flying vintage aircraft are also their concerns,” Krog said of the FAA representatives. “They want to work for and with us to do so.”
Among the other discussions during the summit:
FAA and EAA/VAA agreed to look at various options to streamline the approval process of the engineering data needed for approval of an FAA Form 337.
VAA representatives also pointed out their concerns regarding the draft policy created by FAA for the management of Revoked, Suspended, Surrendered and Abandoned Type Certificates (TCs) and Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs).
“Concerned VAA members made it clear late in 2007 that the proposed policy did not meet the needs of those who needed access to the data to restore and maintain their aircraft,” Frautschy said. “We reiterated those issues, and look forward to seeing the new policy.”