FAR 21.71 — Provisional Type Certificates
FAR 21.71 sets the scope for provisional type certificates: procedural requirements for issuance, amendments, and rules governing certificate holders.
FAR 21.71 is the opening section of Subpart C of Part 21, and its job is simple: it tells you what this subpart covers. Think of it as a table of contents in regulation form.
This subpart prescribes:
- Procedural requirements for issuing provisional type certificates, amendments to those certificates, and provisional amendments to type certificates.
- Rules governing the holders of those provisional certificates.
A provisional type certificate allows limited operation of an aircraft before a full type certificate is issued — typically used by manufacturers during late-stage testing or early production. While student pilots won't apply for one of these, understanding §21.71 helps you grasp how the FAA structures aircraft certification: each subpart begins with an applicability statement that defines its scope. Operationally, this matters because aircraft you may fly someday were certificated under a process this subpart governs.