EAA’s STC Project Hits Another Milestone

April 20, 2017 - EAA’s project to certify the TruTrak Vizion autopilot achieved another important milestone last week, as EAA, TruTrak, and the FAA completed an initial framework for design approval and a certification program. The meeting in Chicago included design approval discussions, building on the  certification work  to implement an innovative, scalable approach to approving TruTrak’s manufacturing process. Now it is time to tackle the engineering work that will pave the way for the award of the final STC, which EAA expects by AirVenture 2017.

FAA staff described the required documentation for the design approval. Meanwhile, EAA and TruTrak worked collaboratively with the agency to set the stage for an appropriately-sized certification program that incorporates the new Part 23 regulatory compliance philosophies for these programs. Representatives of the STC Group, LLC., working to certify the Trio Avionics Pro Pilot system, also participated in the discussion and are pursuing a similar track.

 “We are excited that the FAA is continuing to be flexible in lowering the barriers to installing simple, low-cost, safety-enhancing equipment in the legacy GA fleet,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety. “All of us will be working hard to meet our AirVenture goal.”

EAA obtained an STC for TruTrak’s installation kit earlier this month and will make it available at a later point in the certification process.