FAR 21.1 — Certification Procedures
FAR 21.1 sets the scope of Part 21 and defines key certification terms like article, product, design approval, and production approval for pilots and applicants.
FAR 21.1 establishes what Part 21 covers and defines the vocabulary used throughout the certification rules. Part 21 lays out:
- Procedures for issuing and changing design approvals, production approvals, airworthiness certificates, and airworthiness approvals
- Rules for applicants and holders of those approvals or certificates
- Procedures for approval of articles
It then defines the building-block terms you'll see across Part 21:
- Airworthiness approval: an FAA document certifying an aircraft, engine, propeller, or article conforms to its approved design and is safe to operate.
- Article: a material, part, component, process, or appliance.
- Commercial part: an article on an FAA-approved Commercial Parts List in the design holder's ICA.
- Design approval: a type certificate (including amended/supplemental) or approved design under a PMA, TSO authorization, or letter of TSO design approval.
- Interface component: an article serving as a functional interface between aircraft, engines, and propellers.
- Product: an aircraft, aircraft engine, or propeller.
- Production approval: an FAA document allowing production per an approved design and quality system (production certificate, PMA, or TSO authorization).
- State of Design / State of Manufacture: the country with regulatory authority over design or production.
- Supplier: anyone in the supply chain providing a product, article, or service used in design, manufacture, or installation.
Why it matters: as a pilot, knowing these terms helps you read airworthiness paperwork, STCs, and PMA tags correctly when verifying an aircraft is legal to fly.
Five FAA-written-style questions. Instant explanations, every answer cites its source — no account needed.
You are flying VFR in Class E airspace at 8,500 feet MSL during the day. What are your minimum visibility and cloud clearance requirements?