ARA.FSTD.100 Initial evaluation procedure
Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011
(a) Upon receiving an application for an FSTD qualification certificate, the competent authority shall:
(1) evaluate the FSTD submitted for initial evaluation or for upgrading against the applicable qualification basis;
(2) assess the FSTD in those areas that are essential to completing the flight crew member training, testing and checking process, as applicable;
(3) conduct objective, subjective and functions tests in accordance with the qualification basis and review the results of such tests to establish the qualification test guide (QTG); and
(4) verify if the organisation operating the FSTDis in compliance with the applicable requirements. This does not apply to the initial evaluation of basic instrument training devices (BITDs).
(b) The competent authority shall only approve the QTG after completion of the initial evaluation of the FSTD and when all discrepancies in the QTG have been addressed to the satisfaction of the competent authority. The QTG resulting from the initial evaluation procedure shall be the master QTG (MQTG), which shall be the basis for the FSTD qualification and subsequent recurrent FSTD evaluations.
(c) Qualification basis and special conditions.
(1) The competent authority may prescribe special conditions for the FSTD qualification basis when the requirements of ORA.FSTD.210(a) are met and when it is demonstrated that the special conditions ensure an equivalent level of safety to that established in the applicable certification specification.
(2) When the competent authority, if other than the Agency, has established special conditions for the qualification basis of an FSTD, it shall without undue delay notify the Agency thereof. The notification shall be accompanied by a full description of the special conditions prescribed, and a safety assessment demonstrating that an equivalent level of safety to that established in the applicable Certification Specification is met.
EASA aviation regulations require authorities to evaluate flight simulation training devices (FSTDs) against qualification standards. This evaluation includes assessing training capabilities, conducting objective and subjective tests, creating a qualification test guide (QTG), and verifying organizational compliance. The QTG is approved after discrepancies are resolved and becomes the basis for future evaluations. Special qualification conditions may be prescribed ensuring equivalent safety levels.
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