space shuttle

[eagerbeaver]

this question comes out of pure curiosity,

does the shuttle have to conform to FAA regulations in anyway? e.g does it have a FAA C of A of a maintenance schedule which is regulated by the FAA like civil aircraft or do NASA have their own rules and are allowed to get on with it?

[zerozero]

(I'm trying to keep a straight face because I know this is the *only* Space Shuttle question I'll ever be qualified to answer!!)

Ahem.

Dear Mr. Eager Beaver:

The answer is no. The Space Shuttle is not maintained under the FARs. NASA is, in fact, allowed to get on with it.

I hope this is helpful. Perhaps in the future I'll have some 737 questions for you.

Sincerely,
zerozero.

[Genghis the Engineer]

But it's worth mentioning that Shuttle is the only form of launch vehicle in the USA that doesn't have to meet FARs in some form (http://ast.faa.gov/lrra/about_lrra.htm)

G

[7p3i7lot]

The FARs also do not apply to any state aircraft. This includes the DoD, State Governments, US Agencies etc etc etc. (edit Oh I almost forgot, the FAA themselves do not have to abide by the rules either!)

They may of course choose to use the FARs as their means of complying with "equivalent safety" rules many agencies have but they are not required to do so.

The USG makes many rules they enforce on us but always leave a loophole for their own use.


:uhoh: :ugh: :}

[411A]

The state of Arizona owns several aircraft, and they most certainly do have to abide by Federal Aviation Regulations, for operations as well as maintenance.
However, some are used in law inforcement, and are given wide latitude in those ops.

[av8boy]

411A,

It's even more specific than that... The US Code draws a line between PUBLIC aircraft and CIVIL aircraft based upon the airframe's use at a point in time. GENERALLY... If the government-owned airframe is being used to perform "government functions" of a particular nature outlined in the Code and the aircraft is necessary to the performance of the mission (not enough to show that the pax are being transported in order to perform one of the covered missions at the destination...) then it is a public aircraft and has broad latitude. If the mission doesn't fall within one of the narrowly-defined areas, then it is a civil aircraft subject to the regs. Note that the public/civil AIRCRAFT reference is not quite accurate (although commonly used). An aircraft can be public in the morning and civil in the afternoon, based on the mission it flies, so public/civil MISSION might be more accurate (or public "use"). Anyway, when that government-owned aircraft is operating under the "civil" definition, the operation must comply with all the appropriate certification, maintenance, and operating rules that apply to civil aircraft operations

Hey, It's late, my can is dragging, and I may have muffed some of this. Feel free to correct me. :zzz:

Dave

Oh, I believe it is true that even the public aircraft/mission is only a player within the US. Once the aircraft gets outside the US it is civil (except military).