New ASTM technical committee F44 on GA Aircraft

[nineninefour]

I am sitting in on an organizational meeting (online for me) for the new ASTM committee F44 "General Aviation Aircraft".
It is becoming the self-proclaimed developer of airworthiness standards and other things about ALL GA aircraft (fixed wing and otherwise.)

I only found out about it from my unrelated ASTM membership. I am one of two pilots "attending" not associated with a manufacturers, the FAA, or AOPA. I always harp on people who complain to get involved in this process, so here I am.

Once blessed by the ASTM board, the committee will be formed formally. The committee have voted on the formation, so it is essentially a done deal. I am on the committee by virtue of attendance today.

The scope covers all aspects to GA, with the initial focus on airworthiness, with an intent to allow current certification methods, but to establish things like stall speeds, flight testing requirements, and other basic criteria. It is not limited to certified aircraft, so we will be pulled into it. This is what F37 (light sport aircraft) did when it developed a standard on experimental LSA.

The FAA is on board with this, with the small aircraft directorate having a heavy presence at today's meeting. I think this is going to be useful, but I am hoping to drive home the issue that these guidelines must allow what homebuilders and other experimental aviators/builders do, even as it identifies areas for improvement.

Anyway, this is your fair warning that people looking to change the regulatory landscape, and control your flying destiny, are hard at work.

[rv8ch]

Hi John,

Thanks for the update, and for keeping us informed about this committee. I'm sure it will end up being a lot of work for you. You may want to get some help from EAA or Van's to provide you information that you can use in the discussions, assuming you have not already.

Regards,
Mickey

[esco]

John:

If there's anything I can do to help, including remote attendance at meetings, providing minutes, etc., please let me know.

PM me for my phone and email.

[nineninefour]

As with anything not-work-related, ASTM committees are not a priority for public members. This is how so many bad standards get published. My ASTM committees for work meet at entirely different meetings from this group, so I am not sure how this will work. But, knowing how hard it can be to get heard if you live outside of an industry, I am going to try.

The real problem here is that the foxes are guarding the hen house. The industry discovered in the LSA committee that they can actually tell the FAA what to do. Because Congress, in their infinite wisdom, mandated that government agencies use national consensus standards in lieu of government rules,if an ASTM or other ANSI standard exists, they are obliged to use it.