FAR 21.7 — Continued Airworthiness Requirements
FAR 21.7 explains continued airworthiness and safety improvement rules for transport category airplane design approval holders and manufacturers under Part 26.
In Plain English
FAR 21.7 ties transport category airplane design approvals and production to the continued airworthiness and safety improvement standards in Part 26 of the FARs. It applies to large airplanes (think airliners), not the typical training aircraft you'll fly as a student — but it's a regulation a well-prepared pilot should recognize.
The rule has two parts:
- (a) Design approval holders and applicants: On or after December 10, 2007, anyone holding or applying for a design approval (such as a type certificate) for a transport category airplane must comply with the applicable continued airworthiness and safety improvement requirements in Part 26.
- (b) New production airplanes: For newly manufactured transport category airplanes built under FAA authority, the type certificate holder or licensee must meet the Part 26 requirements that apply to new production airplanes. This only applies when the FAA has jurisdiction over the organization doing final assembly.
Operationally, this is why the airliners you'll one day fly receive ongoing safety upgrades — fuel tank flammability protection, damage tolerance reviews, and similar improvements — long after their original certification.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 21.7§ 21.7 Continued airworthiness and safety improvements for transport category airplanes.
(a) On or after December 10, 2007, the holder of a design approval and an applicant for a design approval must comply with the applicable continued airworthiness and safety improvement requirements of part 26 of this subchapter.
(b) For new transport category airplanes manufactured under the authority of the FAA, the holder or licensee of a type certificate must meet the applicable continued airworthiness and safety improvement requirements specified in part 26 of this subchapter for new production airplanes. Those requirements only apply if the FAA has jurisdiction over the organization responsible for final assembly of the airplane.
[Doc. No. FAA-2004-18379, Amdt. 21-90, 72 FR 63404, Nov. 8, 2007]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What does FAR 21.7 require of transport category airplane design approval holders?
Per FAR 21.7(a), on or after December 10, 2007, holders and applicants for a design approval must comply with the applicable continued airworthiness and safety improvement requirements of Part 26.
Q2Does FAR 21.7 apply to new production transport category airplanes, and under what condition?
Yes. FAR 21.7(b) requires the type certificate holder or licensee to meet Part 26 requirements for new production airplanes, but only when the FAA has jurisdiction over the organization responsible for final assembly.
Q3Where are the actual continued airworthiness and safety improvement standards referenced by FAR 21.7 found?
FAR 21.7 points to Part 26 of the subchapter, which contains the specific continued airworthiness and safety improvement requirements that design approval holders and manufacturers must meet.
Studying for a checkride?
Related Sections in Part 21