airworthiness certificate

What’s Your Airworthiness Certificate Expiration Date? (and More Answers)

Have you had your airworthiness certificate for a while and aren’t sure when it’s going to expire? Does it feel like you’ve stayed with the same airworthiness certificate for too long? One of our goals, when we created the National Aviation Center, was to make aircraft documentation less stressful. We wanted to build a resource center that aircraft owners could trust and turn to when they needed help. With that in mind, we can help you to keep this form valid as well as many others. 

What an Airworthiness Certificate is and What it Means 

The good news is that your airworthiness certificate can stay valid indefinitely. There is no set deadline for when it expires, becomes invalid or anything like that. However, according to the FAA, a “standard” airworthiness certificate (and yes, there are different kinds) “remains valid as long as the aircraft meets its approved type design, is in a condition for safe operation and maintenance, preventative maintenance,” etc. So, to take it out of “legalese,” your airworthiness certificate is valid as long your aircraft fits the performance befitting its type of aircraft and is safe to fly in addition to being well-maintained. 

airworthiness certificate

Different Designs, Different Kinds of Airworthiness 

“Airworthiness,” as you might imagine from the above description, is different for different kinds of planes. For example, for an “acrobatic” airplane to be “airworthy” would be a different standard than for, say, manned free balloons. The FAA recognizes this and makes sure that the requirements for airworthiness differ for each type of plane. So, in regards to a “Standard” certificate, the different kinds of categories are “Normal,” “Utility,” “Commuter,” “Transport,” and “Special Classes,” in addition to the aforementioned “Manned Free Balloons” and “Acrobatic.” 

How We Can Help and What You Want to Keep in Mind 

At our site, you can apply for this certificate easier than ever before. All you have to do is to click on the “Airworthiness” link, fill out the form, and send it in. We can make sure that it gets to the proper authorities pronto so that you can get your certificate back. Now, with that in mind, what we can’t guarantee you is that your aircraft genuinely is “airworthy,” meets the standard of its type, and so forth. All we can help you with is an easier way to send that form in (as well as many others). 

Beyond Airworthiness 

Speaking of the “many other” forms, you can find just about everything you’ll need documentation-wise to keep your aircraft up in the air legally for the duration of your ownership at our site. For example, you can find the Abstract of Title here (for when you’re researching your next airplane purchase), and then, once you buy it, you can get the initial aircraft documentation, as well as an easier way to renew it a few years from now, too. To see everything that we offer, just head over to our site.