Where are TSO instruments required?

Are TSO Instruments required in certificated aircraft? Altimeter,
airspeed , anything.....

If yes, where is this specified?

I've looked in the FARs and haven't been able to find this yet.

Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks

The key words are "not for hire." For a part 91 aircraft (i.e. most of
us here) operating not for hire (i.e. not carrying passengers or cargo
for pay) there is very little TSO requirement. I know the transponder
must be TSO'd (although the transponder itself is not absolutely
required). I was thinking that there is another piece of avionics that
requires a TSO, but if there is, I can't recall it at the moment. All
the regular stuff (radios, headsets, etc.) do not.

When you get into aircraft operating "for hire" (which does NOT include
the C-172 you rent at the local FBO) then TSO is required for a lot of
the equipment. Otherwise the ONLY advantage to a TSO approval is that
it is automatically "data acceptable to the administrator" and may make
the STC a bit easier to get if you are putting something unusual into
your plane.

Are TSO Instruments required in certificated aircraft? Altimeter,
airspeed , anything.....

Not unless it's used in operations for hire (rentals and instruction
don't count).

The problem is, if they're not TSO'd, on what basis are you installing
them? To be installed as an aircraft part, whatever you are installing
must be a standard part (not applicable to instruments - we're talking
hardware, wire, etc.), a TSO'd part, a TC'd/STC'd part, a PMA'd part,
or a part manufactured by the owner-operator. Otherwise it's not an
aircraft part, and will require a field approval.

So let's say you want to install a non-TSO'd altimeter, radio, whatever
into your certificated airplane.

Sometimes it's easy. Let's say you want to install a KX-170B. It's
not TSO'd. But it's manufactured as an aircraft part, with FAA
authorization. No problem.

Or let's say it's a Magellan 5000 VFR GPS. It has (believe it or not)
a Beech PMA. No TSO, but no problem either. It's an aircraft part,
the installation is considered a minor alteration these days (at least
in some FSDO's), so no worries.

But what if it's not? What if the manufacturer has no authorization
from the FAA of any kind? Not going to happen. Can't install it. Not
unless you get an STC or field approval.

Michael

jmk wrote:
...I was thinking that there is another piece of avionics that
requires a TSO, but if there is, I can't recall it at the moment. All
the regular stuff (radios, headsets, etc.) do not.

ELT?

"mikem" wrote in message
oups.com...

jmk wrote:
...I was thinking that there is another piece of avionics that
requires a TSO, but if there is, I can't recall it at the moment. All
the regular stuff (radios, headsets, etc.) do not.

ELT?

Sort of. You need to read the fine print.

Generally, TSOs are not required, except for IFR-approved GPS receivers.
The three "gray-area" items are ELTs, altitude encoders, and transponders.
The rules require they must "meet the requirements" of the specific TSO. So
you can use one of these without a TSO, but the onus is on you to convince
the FAA that they meet the TSO requirements. The TSO is "approved data"
that shows the compliance. So in the end, it's a lot easier to just buy
TSO'd versions of these items.

Gerry

Michael wrote:

The problem is, if they're not TSO'd, on what basis are you installing
them? To be installed as an aircraft part, whatever you are installing
must be a standard part (not applicable to instruments - we're talking
hardware, wire, etc.), a TSO'd part, a TC'd/STC'd part, a PMA'd part,
or a part manufactured by the owner-operator. Otherwise it's not an
aircraft part, and will require a field approval.'

A TSO isn't approval for isntallation in itself. While my IFR GPS meets
the TSO, I also have an STC to cover it's installation in my aircraft.
A TSO is just an statement that it meets certain technical standards
on which further approvals can be based.

A TSO isn't approval for isntallation in itself.

That is true only for major repairs/alterations. For minor
repairs/alterations, a TSO is approval, since it constitutes data
acceptable to the administrator.

Michael

Michael wrote:
A TSO isn't approval for isntallation in itself.

That is true only for major repairs/alterations. For minor
repairs/alterations, a TSO is approval, since it constitutes data
acceptable to the administrator.


"Data acceptable to the administrator" isn't necessary for things
that aren't major alterations. That phrase comes from the
major alteration framework. The fact that it is a non-major
alteration implies you've used something consistant with the
original aircraft design. If the TSO helps you make that
decision great, but it's still not installation approval.

The way I understand the TSO process is that it is a "quality" process
in manufacturing. Kind of like ISO in the non FAA world.
It doesn't mean whether or not an item can be installed in a aircraft,
but that the manufacture of the part is according to a particular
process acceptable to the FAA.
I don't think that it makes any difference if the part can be or can't
be installed in an aircraft just because it has the TSO label.
It allows the FAA to be confident the part is acceptable for
installation if they approve it.

It's all clear as mud as I see it.

I think that you still need a STC or field approval to install a AM/FM
CD player whether its TSO'd or not, but the FAA won't have many
questions about the player if it is a TSO'd item.

Dave

Ron Natalie wrote:
Michael wrote:

A TSO isn't approval for isntallation in itself.


That is true only for major repairs/alterations. For minor
repairs/alterations, a TSO is approval, since it constitutes data
acceptable to the administrator.


"Data acceptable to the administrator" isn't necessary for things
that aren't major alterations. That phrase comes from the
major alteration framework. The fact that it is a non-major
alteration implies you've used something consistant with the
original aircraft design. If the TSO helps you make that
decision great, but it's still not installation approval.

wrote:
The way I understand the TSO process is that
it is a "quality" process in manufacturing. Kind
of like ISO in the non FAA world.

Technical Standard Order; a technical standard. If one
reads the TSO for transponders, it is FAA stating how the
transponder must perform to be compatible with FAA ATCRBS
systems, basically. It does not imply higher quality.

Fred F.