14 CFR Part 45, Subpart C - Nationality and Registration Marks

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is correcting a final rule published on October 1, 2015. In that rule, the FAA amended its certification procedures and marking requirements for aeronautical products and articles. This action corrects the effective date of the final rule to permit an earlier implementation of the rule's provisions that allow production approval holders to issue authorized release documents for aircraft engines, propellers, and articles. It also permits an earlier implementation date for production certificate holders to manufacture and install interface components, and provides earlier relief from the current requirement that fixed-pitch wooden propellers be marked using an approved fireproof method.

This action provides an alternative, streamlined and simple, web-based aircraft registration process for the registration of small unmanned aircraft, including small unmanned aircraft operated as model aircraft, to facilitate compliance with the statutory requirement that all aircraft register prior to operation. It also provides a simpler method for marking small unmanned aircraft that is more appropriate for these aircraft. This action responds to public comments received regarding the proposed registration process in the Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft notice of proposed rulemaking, the request for information regarding unmanned aircraft system registration, and the recommendations from the Unmanned Aircraft System Registration Task Force. The Department encourages persons to participate in this rulemaking by submitting comments on or before the closing date for comments. The Department will consider all comments received before the closing date and make any necessary amendments as appropriate.

The FAA is amending certification procedures and marking requirements for aeronautical products and articles. The amendment requires production approval holders to identify an accountable manager who is responsible for, and has authority over, their production operations and serves as the primary contact with the FAA; allows production approval holders to issue authorized release documents for aircraft engines, propellers, and articles; permits production certificate holders to manufacture and install interface components; requires production approval holders to ensure that each supplier-provided product, article, or service conforms to the production approval holder's requirements and establish a supplier-reporting process for products, articles, or services that have been released from or provided by the supplier and subsequently found not to conform to the production approval holder's requirements; removes the requirement that fixed-pitch wooden propellers be marked using an approved fireproof method; and changes the title of part 21 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This amendment updates FAA regulations to reflect the current global aeronautical manufacturing environment, thereby promoting aviation safety.

The FAA is proposing to amend its regulations to adopt specific rules to allow the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems in the National Airspace System. These changes would address the operation of unmanned aircraft systems, certification of their operators, registration, and display of registration markings. The proposed rule would also find that airworthiness certification is not required for small unmanned aircraft system operations that would be subject to this proposed rule. Lastly, the proposed rule would prohibit model aircraft from endangering the safety of the National Airspace System.

This notice announces the availability of and request for comments on proposed revisions to three FAA Advisory Circulars (ACs). The proposed revisions correspond to proposed regulatory changes outlined in the FAA's February 27, 2014, notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), Changes to Production Certificates and Approvals. Due to erroneous information in the docket that may have led commenters not to submit their views on the ACs, the FAA will accept comment on the three ACs only, and not on the regulatory changes proposed in the NPRM. The three ACs include: AC 21-43, Production Under 14 CFR Part 21, Subparts F, G, K, and O; AC 21-44, Issuance of Export Airworthiness Approvals Under 14 CFR Part 21 Subpart L; and AC 45-2, Identification and Registration Marking.

The FAA is proposing changes to its certification procedures and identification requirements for aeronautical products and articles. The proposed changes would: require production approval holders to identify an accountable manager who would be responsible for, and have authority over, their production operations and serve as the primary contact with the FAA; allow production approval holders to issue authorized release documents for aircraft engines, propellers, and articles; permit production certificate holders to manufacture and install interface components; require production approval holders to ensure that each supplier-provided product, article, or service conforms to the production approval holder's requirements and establish a supplier-reporting process for products, articles, or services that have been released from or provided by the supplier and subsequently found not to conform to the production approval holder's requirements; and remove the requirement that fixed-pitch wooden propellers be marked using an approved fireproof method. This proposal is necessary to update our regulations by revising certification and marking requirements to reflect the current global aeronautical manufacturing environment, thereby promoting aviation safety.