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Frequently asked questions about HEICO Parts Group

What is a PMA?

PMA is an acronym for “Parts Manufacturer Approval”. A PMA is a FAA approved replacement part that meets all airworthiness requirements for the part. FAA Order 8110.42B provides details on the approval process. FAA - Orders and Notices

Theoretically, a PMA is allowed for any type certificated component.

What makes PMAs legal for use?

The regulations as they stand today have never been clearer regarding the use of PMA. The FAA Aviation Safety Repair, Alteration and Fabrication (RAF) Team was chartered in 2007 to assess adequacy of regulations and policy for obtaining non-OEM (TC holder) developed parts. In 2009 the final version of the FAA RAFT report was issued. The RAF team was initially put together in 2007 to address concerns voiced in the industry (mostly from OEMs) either real or perceived that the FAA PMA process was not robust enough and presented a safety concern. The team thoroughly investigated all aspects of the PMA process including an investigation into the current safety record and concluded in the report that there is “No difference” in airworthiness of parts from these sources.

In summary, the report was very supportive of the owner operator’s need for repairs and aftermarket parts and concluded that there was no evidence that indicated that changes were necessary to current regulatory and policy structure. The significance of this report cannot be underestimated in that the FAA has made a clear statement with this document in support of both the safety of PMA and the commercial availability of alternative parts in the market place.

The situation regarding PMA in Europe was also clarified significantly in 2007 when EASA issued policy instruction in terms of the use of PMA, which clearly states that if a part is accompanied with an 8130, and is not critical (defined as a part that has a life limit, or an inspection limit), it may be used legally in Europe without further EASA approval. The EASA guidance material can be found here.

The use of PMA outside of the USA and the EU is subject to terms contained in bilateral agreements with the FAA and EASA. Almost every country in the world is covered buy one of these agreements. You can learn more about the FAA’s bilateral agreements on their website or by contacting a HEICO representative.

What is the difference between PMA by Identicality, License and Test and Computation?

• Identicality. This method of obtaining PMAs requires the applicant to show that their drawing is identical to an approved OEM drawing. After WWII this was a common means of application as many “OEMs” no longer supported the products and drawings were freely available to aircraft operators.
• License. Type Certificates (TCs) are issued to the Airframe, Engine or Propeller manufacturer, if one is not one of these entities then they need some means of approval to provide replacement parts. In the commercial aircraft market this means that unless you hold the original type certificate for a product – Boeing or Airbus for the airframe or General Electric, Pratt & Whitney or Rolls-Royce for the engine you will need a PMA to provide your part directly to the aftermarket.
• Test and Computation (T&C). The third method for obtaining PMAs is Test and Computation, or, as it is frequently referred to, “reverse engineering”. Under this approval process an applicant obtains FAA approved parts with 8130 tags and analyzes the parts to establish their own set of drawings and technical data. This package is then typically reviewed by a Designated Engineering Representative (DER) of the FAA. After DER review the package is submitted to the Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) for design approval and then to the Manufacturing Inspection District Office (MIDO) for final PMA approval.

What kind of quality can I expect from HEICO?

At HEICO, quality is our highest priority. The parts that we ship are equal in every way to their OEM equivalents – except price!