On Wednesday, October 27, the ASTM F37 committee for Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) Consensus Standards completed three days of dynamic meetings in Sebring, FL. The committee, which began work in early 2002, has spent the past two years shaping the face of sport aviation by defining the criteria to which LSA would comply. Since the final Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft rule contained many changes from the original Notice of Proposed Rule Making, obvious revisions to already written standards were necessary. The objective of these meetings was to compare and modify existing ASTM LSA standards for airplane, powered parachute, weightshift & lighter than air aircraft, so they could coincide with the final rule.

In addition to these endeavors, a Cross Cutting Committee (tasked with handling issues common to all aircraft categories) focused on auditing, airparks, airport operations, emergency parachutes, maintenance & propeller standards.

Marking a major milestone in this standardization process, Larry Werth, of FAA Small Airplane Directorate, outlined the process by which the FAA would recognize the work of the ASTM committees- by issuing a Notice of Availability. According to Werth, this notice could be expected by January 2005.

"Industry participation at the meetings was at it's highest level" commented Jim Sweeney, USUA Director and ASTM Executive Committee member, "indicating significant interest by manufacturers in the ASTM process, and the development of appropriate standards for aircraft defined by the this new rule."