IntellIgence
Aviation Maintenance International PMA Summit Drills Deep Into PMA Use
On November 3 and 4, 2011, Aviation Maintenance, in conjunction with their sponsor, the Manufacturer Replacement Parts Association (MARPA), held the International PMA Summit in London at the Earl’s Court Conference Center. The two–day event centered around educating potential European users of parts manufacturing approval (PMA) parts about the truths, myths, challenges and benefits of using these FAA-approved replacement parts. Keynote speaker, Sarah MacLeod, executive director of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), an association devoted to the unique regulatory needs of the worldwide civil aviation community, led the event with a dynamic presentation with one central theme. “There are two types of parts in this industry. Airworthy and un-airworthy,” MacLeod said. “Eighty percent of PMAs are held by the OEMs. This is where the hypocrisy starts,” she added. MacLeod stated that the production rules in the U. S. say any person that produces a part that it knows or should know will be installed on a civil aircraft must have a design and production approval. “Therefore every single ‘OE’ has to have either a PC,
TSOA or a PMA to sell a replacement part to the ‘end-user,’” she said. “The vast majority of the PMAs issued by the FAA are ‘OEs.’” The airworthy vs. un-airworthy argument cropped up time and again during the question and answer period after numerous presentations. MacLeod always brought the questioner back to that simple premise. Macleod said it is better to negotiate over airworthiness and strong recordkeeping and cautioned attendees not to “tie your own hands” but to keep the quality high through review, not through constraints.
The keynote was followed by a history of PMA parts in the aviation industry. Larry Shiembob, general manager of Timken Aftermarket Solutions, gave a presentation that provided an overview of the history, current status, size and trends of the PMA market. The data show that there have been more than 835,000 PMAs issued through 2010. Shiembob also referenced research initially done for MARPA by Jack Buster on the safety of PMA parts. “In researching this presentation we had the data updated through 2011 and it showed that there were 505 Airworthiness Directives (AD) for engine OEM parts and at the same time there were only nine ADs
: ADs Issued from 2000 - 2011
for PMA parts,” Shiembob said. John Milewski of the FAA gave a detailed
presentation entitled “The Maze, The Map, The Compass” about the PMA approval process and the regulatory implications. “PMA signifies the article met the airworthiness requirements of its product, whether aircraft, engine or propeller, and was produced by a system where each article conforms to its approved design and is safe for installation on its eligible products,” Milewski stated.
A particularly tricky issue for many at the summit considering using PMA parts was leasing agreements and what is allowed and not allowed. “Certain lessors don’t like PMA parts,” according to Phil Seymour, president and CEO, IBA Group and a speaker in the “Avoiding Leasing Agreement Limitations and Debunking the Myth of How PMA Parts Impact Aircraft Valuations” session. But, according to Tamsin Hayward, an attorney at Keystone Law in the UK and panelist on the session, “There are no legal issues surrounding the use of PMA parts. Airlines are failing to push the boundaries in their negotiations with lessors and that stifles innovation, competition and commercial progress,” she said. Pat Markham, VP HPG Tech Services on behalf of HEICO
Sarah MacLeod, Executive Director, ARSA
6 Aviation Maintenance |
avm-mag.com | December 2011 / January 2012 Download your free iPhone/iPad app via
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