Adam Morrison of Streamline Designs recently led a class of 15 through the ASTM Technical & Professional Training Course on the ASTM Standards for Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) in Sunriver, Oregon. The training course, offered through ASTM, is recommended for anyone who is manufacturing Light Sport Aircraft, as well as management, engineers, distributors, and other personnel who would benefit from understanding compliance to the governing body of ASTM standards.

This particular class was unique in that several different manufacturers were represented including: ICON Aircraft, Synergy Air, Van’s Aircraft, Kitfox Aircraft, Cub Crafters and Glasair. Two auditors from the FAA also participated and spoke favorably about the experience. Not only did the FAA feel good about the class but the majority of participants shared that the information was relevant and had high value for them in their role within their company, the industry, and their own professional lives.

An ASTM-proctored, LSA Training Certificate is part of the industry’s continuous improvement of self-regulation practices. Recent changes to the quality standards for those signing declarations of compliance requires that signatories be trained. The new standard states that “Any member of the Quality Assurance Administration, identified in the Quality Assurance Manual, must have completed, with documented records, a standards training program within the preceding four years. The training program must leave the student with understanding of [requirements, methods, means, and verification of compliance to the ASTM standards.” The ASTM class, led by Adam, is one way for manufacturers to comply to this requirement. In the next 12-18 months, as additional regulatory bodies adopt the new policy, certified training in compliance will become mandatory, which is especially important in countries where manufacturers self-declare compliance. The training program, which has been offered for several years now, has been modified in a direct response to a push from authorities for people who are signing declarations of compliance to know exactly what their signature means.

For further information, see the ASTM Technical and Professional Training Website.