For certificating light-sport aircraft, what term describes an industry-developed consensus standard that applies to aircraft design, production, and airworthiness?

• A. Consensus Standard
• B. Industry Certification Standard
• C. Light-Sport Protocol
• D. Common Design Standard

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that certification for light-sport aircraft relies on standards that the industry develops and agrees upon, then the FAA accepts these as a path to show airworthiness. These consensus standards are created by a broad group of stakeholders (manufacturers, designers, pilots, regulators) and provide concrete design, production, and airworthiness requirements. For light-sport aircraft, the FAA recognizes these industry consensus standards (such as those developed by ASTM) as an acceptable means of compliance. That makes the term described here “consensus standard.” The other options aren’t the standard terms used to describe this industry-wide, collaboratively developed set of requirements.