Airworthiness Certification (AWC) Overview

Business Processes

The Airworthiness Certification System supports the following business processes in accordance with FAA Orders 8130.2, Airworthiness Certification Aircraft and Related Products, as amended, and 8900.1, Volume 8, Flight Standards Information Management System:S

• Standard Airworthiness Certification (StdAC) – Standard airworthiness certificates are issued for aircraft type certificated in the normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, or transport category, and for manned free balloons, and for aircraft designated by the FAA as special classes of aircraft (Ref: 14 CFR § 21.175).
• Special Airworthiness Certification (SpclAC) – Special airworthiness certificates are primary, restricted, limited, light-sport, and provisional airworthiness certificates, special flight permits, and experimental certificates (Ref: 14 CFR § 21.175).
• Operating Limitations- Operating Limitations are part of the special airworthiness certificate and provide limitations to a particular aircraft for safe operation.
• Examination, Review and Routing of Airworthiness Certification Files – All Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) and designees are responsible for examining in detail each certification file processed to ensure accuracy, completeness, legibility and compliance with applicable requirements, including all necessary attachments. This processing also assures that the appropriate airworthiness files are routed to the FAA Aircraft Registry.
• Special Flight Authorizations (SFA) – Special Flight Authorizations are issued to foreign civil aircraft that may not have a current airworthiness certificate issued by the state of registry and will be operated in the United States.

System Organization

The Airworthiness Certification (AWC) Applicant Portal is a web-based application. The AWC Applicant Portal screens are web pages that are displayed within an Internet browser on your PC workstation (Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0 or a compatible web browser). The AWC provides the following functions:

• My AWC
• Search
• Reports
• My Profile

Authorized Permission, Use and Policy

The AWC application displays a Security System Use Notification message before granting system access to users. Upon initial application access, the System Use and Restriction Message for system use displays. The user must agree to the conditions described in the system use notice to continue to the Login page for the AWC Applicant Portal application.

Applicant User Access

Applicants will access only the Applicant Portal for their airworthiness certificate needs. Applicants are required to register for user credentials with the Applicant Portal and provide additional user preference information to assist in communicating with the FAA. Applicants have limited authorization in the Applicant Portal, primarily creating and updating airworthiness certification applications and functionality related to those activities. Applicant authorization is validated within the Applicant Portal.

Minimum System Requirements

The user must have a computer system which has a minimum of a 233 megahertz (MHz) processor, a minimum of 256 megabytes of memory, and network speed of 3 Megabytes per second download and 1 Megabyte per second upload.

Session Expiration

After 15 minutes of the current session’s inactivity, the system displays a message indicating that the session will time out in five minutes (300 seconds). Clicking the OK button reinitializes your working session. Otherwise, you are logged out of the AWC Applicant Portal and the Successful Logout page displays.