An FAA special airworthiness certificate (FAA Form 8130-7) is an FAA authorization to operate an aircraft in the US airspace in one or more of the following categories, governed by the applicable sections of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR):
Primary Category
Purpose:
A primary category special airworthiness certificate is issued to operate aircraft that have been type certificated in the primary category. Aircraft in this category are of a simple design and intended exclusively for pleasure and personal use. Although these aircraft may be available for rental and flight instruction under certain conditions, the carrying of persons or property for hire is prohibited.
Aircraft certificated in this category must be manufactured under a production certificate. This includes aircraft assembled from a kit under the production certificate holder's supervision and quality control system.
Kit-built aircraft built without the production certificate holder's supervision are only eligible for certification in the experimental category.
Title 14, CFR Section:
Restricted Category
Purpose:
A restricted category special airworthiness certificate is issued to operate aircraft that have been type certificated in the restricted category. Operation of restricted category aircraft is limited to special purposes identified in the applicable type design. These special purpose operations include the following:
- Agricultural (spraying, dusting, seeding, and livestock and predatory animal control)
- Forest and wildlife conservation
- Aerial surveying (photography, mapping, and oil and mineral exploration)
- Patrolling (pipe lines, power lines, and canals)
- Weather control (cloud seeding)
- Aerial advertising (skywriting, banner towing, airborne signs, and public address systems)
- Any other operation specified by the Administrator
Title 14, CFR Section:
Multiple Categories
Purpose:
Under certain circumstances, an aircraft owner may be entitled to multiple airworthiness certificates. You may obtain an airworthiness certificate in the Restricted category, and in one or more other categories (except Primary category), if you show:
- Compliance with the requirements for each category, when the aircraft is configured for that category.
- That the aircraft can be converted from one category to another by removing or adding equipment by simple mechanical means.
Once the airworthiness certificates are issued, the operator of the aircraft shall have the aircraft inspected by the FAA or a certificated mechanic to determine airworthiness each time the aircraft is converted from restricted to standard categories.
Title 14, CFR Section:
Limited Category
Purpose:
A limited category special airworthiness certificate is issued to operate surplus military aircraft that have been converted to civilian use under the following conditions:
- The aircraft has a limited type certificate.
- The aircraft conforms to its type certificate.
- The FAA has determined that the aircraft is safe to operate.
No person may operate a limited category civil aircraft carrying persons or property for compensation or hire.
FAA Order 8130.2, Airworthiness Certification of Aircraft, Chapter 8, Limited Category, contains a list of aircraft models that have been issued limited category type certificates.
Title 14, CFR Section:
Light-Sport Aircraft Category
Purpose:
A Light-sport Aircraft (LSA) category special airworthiness certificate is issued to operate an aircraft that:
- Has not been previously issued an airworthiness certificate or an equivalent airworthiness certificate issued by the U.S. or a foreign civil aviation authority,
- Is in a condition for safe operation,
- Was built and tested to the applicable consensus standards by the aircraft’s manufacturer, and
- Possesses the manufacturer’s statement of compliance.
Aircraft classes meeting the definition of Light Sport Aircraft contained in 14 CFR 1.1 that are eligible for LSA category special airworthiness certificates are:
- Airplanes,
- Gliders,
- Powered parachutes,
- Weight-shift-control aircraft (commonly called trikes), and
- Lighter-than-air aircraft (balloons and airships).
LSA manufactured outside the United States may be issued special airworthiness certificates when proof is provided to show:
- Compliance to the airworthiness regulations, 14 CFR 21.190,
- The LSA has been manufactured in a country with which the U.S. has a Bilateral Airworthiness Agreement (BAA) or Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), with associated Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (IPA) or equivalent airworthiness agreement, and
- The aircraft is eligible for an airworthiness certificate or similar certification in its country of manufacture.
Title 14, CFR Section:
Provisional Category
Purpose:
A provisional category special airworthiness certificate is issued to conduct special purpose operations of aircraft with provisional type certificates. The duration of this airworthiness certificate is limited to the duration of the provisional type certificate.
Two classes of provisional type certificates may be issued:
- Class I certificates may be issued for all categories and have a duration of 24 months.
- Class II certificates are issued for transport category aircraft only and have a duration of 12 months.
Title 14, CFR Sections:
- Part 21, Subpart C, Provisional Type Certificates (21.71 – 21.85)
- Part 21, Subpart I, Provisional Airworthiness Certificates (21.211 – 21.225)
- 91.317
Experimental Airworthiness Certificates
Purpose:
An experimental airworthiness certificate is issued to operate an aircraft that does not have a type certificate or does not conform to its type certificate and is in a condition for safe operation. Additionally, this certificate is issued to operate a primary category kit-built aircraft that was assembled without the supervision and quality control of the production certificate holder.
Experimental airworthiness certificates may be issued for the following purposes:
- Research and development: to conduct aircraft operations as a matter of research or to determine if an idea warrants further development. Typical uses for this certificate include new equipment installations, operating techniques, or new uses for aircraft.
- Showing compliance with regulations: to show compliance to the airworthiness regulations when an applicant has revised the type certificate design data or has applied for a supplemental type certificate or field approval.
- Crew training: for training the applicant’s flight crews in experimental aircraft for subsequent operation of aircraft being flight tested in type certificate programs or for production flight testing.
- Exhibition: to exhibit an aircraft’s flight capabilities, performance, or unusual characteristics for air shows, motion pictures, television, and similar productions, and for the maintenance of exhibition flight proficiency.
- Air racing: to operate an aircraft in air races, practice for air races, and to fly to and from racing events.
- Market surveys: to conduct market surveys, sales demonstrations, and customer crew training for U.S. manufacturers of aircraft or engines.
- Operating amateur-built aircraft,kit-built aircraft, or light-sport aircraft
- Operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Optionally Piloted Aircraft (OPA)
Title 14, CFR Sections:
Special Flight Permit
Purpose:
A special flight permit may be issued for an aircraft that may not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirements, but is capable of safe flight, for the following purposes:
- Flying aircraft to a point for repairs, alterations, maintenance, or storage (for example, ferrying an aircraft from point A to point B).
- Delivering new aircraft to the base of a purchaser or to a storage point.
- Conducting production flight tests.
- Evacuating an aircraft from impending danger.
- Conducting customer demonstration flights in new production aircraft that have passed or completed production flight tests.
- Excess weight operations.
The special flight permit does not authorize flight over a country other than the United States without permission of that country.
Title 14, CFR Section:
Airworthiness Certification Process
Airworthiness Certification: Regulations, Policies, and Resources
Last updated: Tuesday, September 17, 2024
