Flight Design CT wins approval in China

Flight Design CEO Matthias Betsch receives Chinese certification from Yin Shijun of the Chinese aviation regulatory agency.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has awarded a type design approval to Flight Design for its CT light sport aircraft. The award allows Flight Design to deliver the first CT to the Chinese general aviation market.

The company also received a production certificate for the aircraft. Flight Design claims to be the first company in the world to obtain LSA approval in China, and the first company outside of China to hold a Chinese type design approval and production certificate.

Flight Design CEO Matthias Betsch received the certificates from Yin Shijun, a deputy director general of CAAC. The new approval is a step above the standard method of bringing an LSA into service based on the manufacturer’s self-declaration alone. In the United States, an LSA manufacturer merely certifies to the FAA that ASTM standards set by the industry have been met.