Frequently asked questions
Written to be read by a person in a hurry and quoted by a search engine — each answer leads with the direct response and cites the regulation it rests on.
PMA basics
What is a PMA part?
A PMA part is a modification or replacement article approved by a civil aviation authority. In the United States the FAA approves it under 14 CFR Part 21 Subpart K; in China the equivalent approval is issued under CCAR-21.
Is it legal to install a PMA part?
Yes, where the part is approved for that aircraft type and model and its installation is covered by the operator's approved maintenance programme. Legality follows the approval, not the part number alone.
What is the difference between a PMA part and an OEM part?
An OEM part is produced by the type certificate holder. A PMA part is an approved alternative produced by a separate manufacturer that holds its own design and production approval for that article.
Are PMA parts safe?
A PMA part is approved against a defined basis — identicality, test and computation, or a licensing agreement — and must conform to that approved design. It is not an unapproved or counterfeit part, which carries no approval at all.
Approvals
What are the three PMA approval bases?
Identicality, test and computation, and licensing agreement with the type certificate holder. The basis determines what evidence supports the approval and what documentation you can expect.
Does the FAA accept CAAC PMA parts?
Certain PMAs are mutually and reciprocally accepted under the FAA–CAAC Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness. Acceptance is scoped, so the specific part and installation need to be checked against the applicable procedures.
What is a bilateral aviation safety agreement?
A BASA is a framework between two states under which each recognises aspects of the other's certification system. Implementation procedures then define how approvals are validated or accepted in practice.
How do I verify a PMA holder number?
Look the holder up in the issuing authority's public database — for the FAA that is the Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS), where approvals can be searched by holder, article name, part number and aircraft make and model.
Finding the right part
How do I cross-reference an OEM part number to an approved alternative?
Enter the OEM part number in our part search. We hold cross-references verified against maintenance manual and catalogue data, and we tell you what the relationship is and where it was verified.
Why can I not find my OEM part number in an official database?
Official databases are indexed primarily by PMA part number, holder and aircraft make and model rather than by the OEM part number being replaced. A search on an OEM number can therefore return nothing even though an approved alternative exists.
What does an FAA 8130-3 tag mean?
It is an airworthiness approval tag confirming that the article conforms to its approved design and is in a condition for safe operation. It is a release document for a specific article, not a statement about the whole fleet.
Can you supply parts that are not listed on the website?
The published listing covers only part of what we source. Send the part number and aircraft type and we will search the wider network, including options from more than one approved manufacturer.
Ordering and shipping
What is your minimum order quantity?
For most part numbers the minimum is one unit. Where a manufacturer applies a pack quantity, we will tell you at quotation.
How long is your lead time?
Lead time depends on the part number, condition and source. Indicative lead times are shown against listed parts, and a confirmed lead time is given in the quotation.
What documentation comes with a shipment?
The applicable airworthiness release document for the article, plus traceability documentation for the source. Specific certificate requirements can be stated in the request.
What payment terms do you accept?
Terms are agreed per order and confirmed in the quotation. Details are set out in our terms of sale.
AOG
How fast do you answer an AOG request?
AOG requests are worked continuously. Call the mobile number and email the part number in parallel — the request is picked up by a person, not a queue.
What should I include in an AOG request?
Part number and quantity, aircraft type, the certificate the receiving organisation requires, the delivery airport or city, and whether an alternate part number is acceptable.
Still not answered?
Send the part number and the question. If it is a documentation or approval question, we will answer it in writing rather than by phone.