Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA)
PMA is a combined design and production approval for modification and replacement articles. It allows a manufacturer to produce and sell these articles for installation on type certificated products. Federal Aviation Administration Orders 8110.42 and 8120.22 prescribe the approval procedures for FAA personnel and guides applicants in the approval process.
Design Approval
The design approval phase of PMA certifies that a replacement or modification article complies with the airworthiness standards of eligible products (aircraft, engine, or propeller). The applicant shows this compliance through tests and computations unless the article is identical to the article design on a type-certificated product. Identicality means that an article is the same in all respects to an article design in a type-certificated product. Evidence of license agreement shows this identicality.
Production Approval
A PMA production approval allows you to produce and sell FAA approved aircraft articles that are eligible for installation on FAA type certificated products.
A PMA is not transferable.
A PMA is valid until surrendered, withdrawn or terminated. One may sell PMA data to another, but the buyer must get a separate PMA.