Air Methods, Keystone Win Advanced FAA Design Certification

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Air Methods’ Products Div. and Keystone Helicopter are the latest outfits to win approval to sign off on aircraft modifications for the U.S. FAA.

The Air Methods unit in Englewood, Colo. and the Sikorsky Aircraft subsidiary in Coatesville, Pa. each have won certification as an organization designation authorization (ODA) agency. That allows each to approve work specified by its ODA certificate, such as supplemental type certificates (STCs), as an agent of the FAA. That speeds the approval of aircraft modification work developed by the firms for customers.

Air Methods formerly held an FAA designated alteration station (DAS) authorization, and performed about 30 projects a year under it. It expects those projects to increase significantly under the ODA, which also allows Air Methods to issue STCs to approved off-site facilities.

Keystone’s ODA allows it to issue STCs for modifications to aircraft certified under Federal Aviation Regulations Parts 23, 27 and 29. According to the FAA, PHI and Chelton Alaska hold ODAs and Agusta USA in Philadelphia and Bell Helicopter have ODA applications pending.