For the purposes of the regulation of airworthiness, “Products” are aircraft, engines, and propellers. A modification is any change to the design of a Product.
The internationally recognised standard for the airworthiness of a civil aircraft is a Certificate of Airworthiness issued in accordance with the Convention on International Civil Aviation, (ICAO Chicago Convention). An aircraft which cannot show compliance with the standards required for the award of a Certificate of Airworthiness, but nevertheless can be considered airworthy (subject to specified limitations), may be granted a Permit to Fly – see link at left to “Permits to fly”.
To qualify for a Certificate of Airworthiness the design of an aircraft must be shown to comply with appropriate design standards, and the individual aircraft must be shown to have been constructed in conformity with the approved design.
Certification of the design of an aircraft is normally declared by the granting of a Type Certificate; for which a pre-requisite will be Type Certification of any engines and/or propellers fitted. Subject to compliance with any additional requirements that may be imposed, an aircraft that conforms with the type certificated design will be eligible for a Certificate of Airworthiness.
Whenever a UK-registered aircraft is modified, (or an engine, or propeller fitted to such an aircraft is modified), the Certificate of Airworthiness is invalidated until such time as the modification is approved by EASA or the CAA as appropriate (either directly or through the procedures of an organisation approved by the CAA for the purpose).
See panel at left for links to more information.
