In the picturesque south of Germany, Aero Friedrichshafen has become a popular show that has long presented light aircraft in a prominent way. (That makes sense as “sport” flying dominates 80% of European aviation.) Housed in several cavernous halls, Aero offers an enormous range of interesting aircraft; Aero runs April 2-5. *** Though I love this show, the main reason I’m going is to interact with European officials moving toward acceptance of ASTM standards. A Certification Specification for Light Sport Aircraft (CS-LSA) is working its way through the European Union and at Aero, some key meetings are planned to help EASA personnel get with FAA people and ASTM committee members. Dull? Maybe… But look at the prize: the potential for a worldwide standard for LSA. Upon acceptance, American producers could work to enlarge their market in Europe at dramatically lower cost than for Type Certificated airplanes, which must gain approval country-by-country. Can we expect LSA to give birth to a global aircraft certification standard? *** Possibly, and my best analogy is jet or auto fuel. In every country on Earth, these fuels meet non-governmental ASTM standards. If it works for major commodities like airline and auto fuel, many believe it can work for Light-Sport Aircraft.
