One of the biggest changes in the new SP/LSA world is how aircraft are determined to be airworthy, or officially considered safe enough to fly. As you’ve learned, small aircraft are inherently safe, and the manufacturing focus has been on making them safe. However, the rules have become very restrictive over the years, making it quite expensive for an aircraft manufacturer to get FAA approval on a plane. Yet the result isn’t an inherently safer aircraft. Planes fly just fine; it’s the pilots who need to be made airworthy!
So the rules have been changed and the cost of manufacturing safe and airworthy aircraft is going down. The rule change involves the difference between certification and consensus. Let’s take a closer look.
QUOTE:
"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."
-- Andre Gide
"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."
-- Andre Gide
