FAA Type Certificate (TC)

A Type Certificate is the FAA's formal approval that a particular aircraft, engine, or propeller design meets the applicable airworthiness requirements. Getting an original TC for a new aircraft type takes 6 to 10 years and over $1B. The Supplemental Type Certificate is a derivative path that approves a modification to an already-certified type. For Certification Engineers, the work is the most regulatory-dense of any aerospace role: build the certification plan, identify means of compliance, run the test campaigns, and assemble the data package the FAA Designated Engineering Representative signs off. Roles where this matters: Engineering, Certification, Quality, Flight Test.