Editing Federal Aviation Administration (section)

===Designated Engineering Representative===
A Designated Engineering Representative (DER) is an engineer who is appointed under 14 CFR section 183.29 to act on behalf of a company or as an independent consultant (IC).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/designees_delegations/designee_types/der/ |title=faa.gov: "Engineering and Flight Test Designees - Designated Engineering Representative (DER)" |access-date=May 31, 2009 |archive-date=June 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608212350/http://www.faa.gov/other%5Fvisit/aviation%5Findustry/designees%5Fdelegations/designee%5Ftypes/der/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The DER system enables the FAA to delegate certain involvement in [[airworthiness]] exams, tests, and inspections to qualified technical people outside of the FAA.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/FAA_Order_8110.37F.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029215814/https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/FAA_Order_8110.37F.pdf |archive-date=2019-10-29 |url-status=live |title=FAA Order 8110.37F |page=2-1}}</ref> Qualifications and policies for appointment of Designated Airworthiness Representatives are established in [[FAA Order 8100.8]], ''Designee Management Handbook''. Working procedures for DERs are prescribed in [[FAA Order 8110.37]], ''Designated Engineering Representative (DER) Handbook''.

*Company DERs act on behalf of their employer and may only approve, or recommend that the FAA approves, technical data produced by their employer.
*Consultant DERs are appointed to act as independent DERs and may approve, or recommend that the FAA approves, technical data produced by any person or organization.

Neither type of DER is an employee of either the FAA or the United States government. While a DER represents the FAA when acting under the authority of a DER appointment; a DER has no federal protection for work done or the decisions made as a DER. Neither does the FAA provide any indemnification for a DER from general [[Tort|tort law]]. "The FAA cannot shelter or protect DERs from the consequences of their findings."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/FAA_Order_8100.8D.pdf |title=FAA Order 8100.8D |page=3-1 |accessdate=2021-12-14 |archive-date=January 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118213845/https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/FAA_Order_8100.8D.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>