Editing Federal Aviation Regulations (section)

=== Part 23 ===
Part 23 contains airworthiness standards required for issuance and change of type certificates for airplanes in these categories:<ref>{{cite web |work= ELECTRONIC CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS |title= Title 14: Aeronautics and Space PART 23—AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES, §&nbsp;23.3 Airplane categories |publisher= U.S. Government Publishing Office |url= http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=685dc1ae97ae3f5e5569e47880fab01e&mc=true&node=pt14.1.23#se14.1.23_13}}</ref>

* nine or less passengers, 12,500 pounds or less [[maximum takeoff weight|MTOW]]
** normal: nonacrobatic operation (bank angle < 60°)
** utility: limited acrobatic operation (60° < bank angle < 90°)
** acrobatic: no restrictions
* commuter category: multiengine airplanes, 19 or less passengers, 19,000 pounds or less MTOW, nonacrobatic operation (bank angle < 60°)

In 2016 the FAA proposed a new system of performance-based airworthiness standards instead of prescriptive design requirements. The familiar weight and propulsion classifications of small airplane regulations would be replaced by performance and risk-based standards for aircraft weighing less than 19,000 pounds and seating 19 or fewer passengers.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/20160314-faa-proposes-new-part-23-airworthiness-certification-standards.php |title= FAA Proposes New Part 23 Airworthiness Certification Standards |date= March 14, 2016 |publisher= National Business Aviation Association}}</ref> On August 30, 2017, a revised Part 23 ruling went into effect, changing the aircraft classifications. The new passenger classifications are: Level 1, seating for 0 to 1 passenger; Level 2, 2 to 6; Level 3, 7 to 9; Level 4, 10 to 19. Speed classifications are: low speed, Vc or Vmo equal to or less than 250 knots [[Calibrated airspeed|CAS]] and equal to or less than Mmo 0.6 Mach; high speed, Vc or Vmo greater than 250 knots CAS and Mmo greater than 0.6 Mach.<ref>[https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/december/16/part-23-reform-faa-releases-final-rule-on-small-aircraft-certification Part 23 Reform: FAA Releases Final Rule on Small Aircraft Certification]</ref>

Prior to August 30, 2017, Part 23 had a large number of regulations to ensure airworthiness in areas such as structural loads, airframe, performance, stability, controllability, and safety mechanisms, how the seats must be constructed, oxygen and air pressurization systems, fire prevention, escape hatches, flight management procedures, flight control communications, emergency landing procedures, and other limitations, as well as testing of all the systems of the aircraft.

It also determined special aspects of aircraft performance such as stall speed (e.g., for single engine airplanes – not more than 61 knots), rate of climb (not less than 300&nbsp;ft/min), take-off speed (not less than 1.2 x [[v speeds|V<sub>S1</sub>]]), and weight of each pilot and passenger (170&nbsp;lb for airplanes in the normal and commuter categories, and 190&nbsp;lb for airplanes in the acrobatic and utility categories).

The [[Cessna 177]], [[Cirrus SR20]] and [[Piper PA-34 Seneca]] are well-known airplanes types that were certified to standards set out in FAR Part 23.

Most of the Federal Aviation Regulations, including Part 23, commenced on February 1, 1965. Prior to that date, airworthiness standards for airplanes in the normal, utility and acrobatic categories were promulgated in Part 3 of the US Civil Air Regulations. Many well-known types of light airplane, like the [[Cessna 150]] and [[Piper Cherokee]] are certified to these older standards, even though they remained in production after 1965.