NPA 2021-03

Regular update of the Certification Specifications for Simulator Data — CS-SIMD

The objective of this Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) is to provide stakeholders with additional guidance on the processes, procedures, and requirements related to operational suitability data (OSD) for simulator data. The guidance is based on best practice and experience gained since the initial issue of the Certification Specifications and Guidance Material for Simulator Data (CS-SIMD) in 2014. The scope of the NPA was extended to include flight simulation training devices (FSTDs) for which a qualification standard is not laid down in Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 (the ‘Initial Airworthiness Regulation’). Such a standard needs be defined in special conditions.

To this end, this NPA proposes to:

  • extend the applicability of CS-SIMD to categories of aircraft other than aeroplanes and helicopters;
  • provide further guidance on the interaction between the data provider and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), their responsibilities and tasks;
  • describe the different steps of the process and flow of data from data gathering by the data provider until the determination of the validation data as finally used in the master qualification test guide (MQTG);
  • clarify the means for substantiating the scope of validation source data (VSD);
  • create diagrams to visualise the various validation data road map (VDR) approval processes, including cases where interim qualification steps are necessary; and
  • clarify the terminology and provide additional guidance on its use.

he proposed amendments are expected to facilitate the applicants’ compliance with the OSD requirements for simulator data (SIMD) and improve efficiency by rendering the process of evaluating applications for OSD certification more comprehensible. Overall, the proposed amendments are expected to have a moderate safety benefit and no social or environmental impacts.