ASTM F 3686 : 2024

1.1This practice provides unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) manufacturers with the requirements toward civil aviation authority (CAA) production approval that may be associated with a CAA airworthiness approval for UAS without people on board.

1.2The Type Certification and Production Certificate (TC/PC) approval process is well-entrenched within the aviation industry. Internationally, these processes have good harmonization from country to country however those processes can be different depending on the country’s aviation history, governmental organization, size of industry, safety culture, etc. The TC/PC process results in a highly robust product that has undergone compliance to the rigor that aviation regulations require. The TC/PC process is synonymous with the safety record of traditional manned aviation and the public will expect similar safety from the UAS industry.

1.2.2In Fig. 1, the Open, Specific, and Certified categories are identified per the ICAO state letter. Further, the Specific category has been broken into Low, Medium, and High risks per the SORA. The terms “highest” and “lowest” are used to differentiate the Low risk and robustness associated with the Open category and the High risk and robustness associated with the Certified category. This practice addresses the production requirements for UA operating in the ICAO Specific category associated with Low, Medium, and High risk.

FIG. 1Relationship Between Operational Risk and Production Requirements

1.3In this practice, a scalable risk-based assessment similar to the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking of Unmanned Systems Specific Operations Risk Assessment (JARUS SORA) for determining CAA Tiers 1–3–based production approval is used.

1.4In this practice, a roadmap is provided for small, medium, and large manufacturers to pursue production approval through a governing CAA. This standard roadmap also allows companies to progress their organization from the initial Tier 3 requirements to advanced Tier 1.

1.5This practice has been purposefully designed within the broader context of the ASTM F38 library. Although the original source materials for the content presented here were intended to function as standalone documents, the ASTM working group has consciously removed any redundant information in favor of adopting a referential "single-source-of-truth" approach. Consequently, when applying this standard, it is essential to consider and integrate all relevant ASTM F38 standards to ensure its comprehensive and accurate implementation.

1.6When intending to utilize the information provided in this practice as a means of compliance for production approval, it is crucial to consult with the respective governing authority (for example, CAA) regarding its acceptable use and application. To find out which authorities have accepted this standard (in whole or in part) as an acceptable means of compliance to their regulatory requirements (hereinafter "the Rules"), please refer to the ASTM F38 webpage (www.ASTM.org/COMMITTEE/F38.htm).

1.7This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.8This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.