HAI, GAMA Team On Part 27, 29 Review

The Helicopter Association International (HAI) is working with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) to take the next step in a potential rewrite of Part 27 and 29 helicopter certification standards. The associations hope to convene a government-industry working group shortly that will assess the need and scope of such a rewrite, said Walter Desrosier, vice president of engineering and maintenance for GAMA. The working group will be similar to the Part 23 Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) that comprised a number of international regulators and industry experts.

The FAA has already signed on to such an effort. In February 2013 the agency solicited comments on “interest in restructuring rotorcraft standards” and asked whether the standards should be changed completely or whether the agency should pursue more targeted changes. The FAA further asked about weight- and passenger-based standards that separate the certification requirements of Part 27 and 29.

Nearly 50 groups commented, most seeking at least some level of review of the existing standards. All but three of those commenters supported a close look at the weight and passenger thresholds between the two parts.

After reviewing the comments, the FAA issued a notice in July last year saying it “has determined that there is sufficient interest in the rotorcraft community to pursue further collaboration toward possible revisions to Parts 27 and 29.” The agency added that it recognized that Parts 27 and 29 have not kept pace with technology and the capabilities of new rotorcraft.

Industry Interest

The interest in updating the standards had been growing over time, but a couple of key catalysts have pushed the issue to the forefront. One involved a petition by Bell Helicopter to raise the max takeoff weight of the 429 by 500 pounds beyond the Part 27 limit. To be certified under the less stringent standards of Part 27, a helicopter cannot weigh more than 7,000 pounds. Bell was seeking Part 27 approval at 7,500 pounds.

While numerous aviation authorities, including Transport Canada, agreed to the weight increase, both the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) rejected the petition, in part out of concern that it would give Bell an unfair competitive edge. At the same time, though, the FAA said it is open to a review of the thresholds.

A second primary catalyst has been the Part 23 rewrite effort. That effort is the first to bring together industry and international regulators to develop a harmonized standards concept. The rewrite will move general aviation certification standards from a prescriptive model to a consensus-based approach. 

Industry groups believe that many lessons learned from the Part 23 rewrite can apply to Part 27 and 29, Desrosier said. “The Part 23 rule will establish a baseline on this kind of approach,” he said. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta also has indicated that if the rewrite is successful, the FAA could consider the expanding the consensus-based approach beyond Part 23.

The effort, however, is still in the early stages. HAI and GAMA are taking a slow, methodical approach to such an effort and assembling a proposal to see if there would be sufficient support. That support must include international backing, Desrosier said. Noting how difficult it can be to get major rule changes adopted, he said, “We want to make sure we can move forward with this.”

The Part 23 rewrite has the endorsement of not only the FAA and EASA but also Transport Canada and several other international agencies. Even with this support, it will take several years to get a rule through the FAA’s regulatory process.

Both the EASA and Transport Canada have indicated an interest in a Part 27/Part 29 review, Desrosier said. The associations are reaching out to other regulatory agencies, such as Brazil’s ANAC, to gauge their interest. Once sufficient support is identified, then a government-industry group can narrow the scope and specific areas to be addressed. Desrosier characterized the effort as pre-ARC.

HAI president and CEO Matt Zuccaro calls the review long overdue, noting that HAI members overwhelmingly believe the initiative should move forward.

One of the key concerns is that Part 27 helicopters have become more complex and their missions have changed to the point that lines have been blurred between the lighter helicopters and the heavier ones certified under Part 29, Desrosier said. “There is little difference between some Part 27 and Part 29 aircraft,” he added.

Zuccaro noted that in the Bell 429 case, both the FAA and the manufacturer have valid concerns, but the request highlights the need to hash out these issues. Also, avionics, electronics and other technologies are evolving at a fast pace, but the current regulations “can inhibit their introduction to the market,” Desrosier said. Operators would like to add new safety equipment to their helicopters, but the regulations can stand in the way, added Zuccaro.

Both Zuccaro and Desrosier see this as a long process. Desrosier said a concrete recommendation for new certification standards could be developed in the next couple of years, but the end result would likely be six or seven years away.