Category – ODA
How Do Regulators Define VTOL?
VTOL stands for vertical takeoff and Landing. Seems simple enough. So how does this description fit into the regulatory universe? VTOL designs today are possible through the use of distributed…
Aircraft Certification is a Human Endeavor
On May 11, 1997, an IBM supercomputer named Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six game chess match. This was a historic moment for supercomputing. A…
Repeal of the “2-for-1” Rule
Regardless of your political viewpoint, presidential executive order 13771 may be fertile ground for a study of the “law of unintended consequences” and it’s affect on the world of aviation….
Certification Planning – The Basics
After getting married shortly after college graduation, my new spouse and I embarked on a honeymoon road trip. Nothing fancy. We thought touring the great state of Arizona would fill…
Overview of ASTM F44 Committee on General Aviation
The ASTM F44 Committee on General Aviation maintains the ASTM standards that are used as MOC (Means of Compliance) for the United States FAA 14 CFR Part 23 amendment 64…
The FAA Dynamic Regulatory System is Here
Within the first week of my working career at an airplane manufacturer, I learned my first aviation quote which is attributed to Donald Douglas – “When the weight of the…
A Brief History of Fatigue Management Programs
In the early 2000s, I had the distinct pleasure of working with several long time Cessna engineers who had started their careers in the mid-1960s. I worked with two of…
How Propeller Governor Type Design Became Orphaned
Having worked in a matrix organization for many years, I have some experience with the term “responsibility without authority”. For those of you who are developing and honing your leadership skills,…
What Exactly is a Compliance Finding?
With just a few years under my belt as a young stress engineer back in the late 1990s, I was getting the hang of certification work. My manager was the…