Summary: MARPA, is a non-profit association of aviation industry PMA parts manufacturers, and other individuals and entities who wish to support that industry. The Association promotes its members' business efforts by promoting safety and regulatory compliance.
What is a PMA? A Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) is a FAA design and production approval for aircraft parts. It is only issued after the FAA has (1) reviewed the design of the part to assure that it is safe and meets the requirements of the FAA regulations and (2) reviewed the production quality system to make sure that there is a system in place to verify that each part that is manufactured meets the FAA-approved design.
History: The Modification and Replacement Parts Association was founded to support PMA manufacturers and their customers. It was founded as a joint decision by Jim Reum, George Powell and Jason Dickstein when the three of them recognized that the PMA industry needed a trade association to spread the truth about the industry's efforts to support safety, and to protect the PMA industry from misinformation that was sometimes spread by non-PMA competitors to further their competitive goals. An important element of this information-spreading goal was to work closely with the FAA and other aviation authorities to make sure that all government aviation authority employees understood that PMA companies are eager to work cooperatively to further the safety interests of the industry, while also reducing costs and improving reliability of air travel by making reliable replacement parts available at commercially reasonable prices.
Government Affairs: MARPA is based in Washington, DC, providing association members with a voice in the nation's Capital. The Association represents its members before aviation policy makers to prevent unnecessary or unfair regulatory burden while working with the FAA to improve the aviation industry's already-impressive safety record. We are the only major trade group exclusively representing the PMA industry. MARPA represents a diverse group of interests dedicated to excellence in producing aircraft parts, and we have found that by working cooperatively with our customers, competitors and the government, we can all achieve advances that make aviation even safer.
Board and Staff: The Board of Directors is drawn from the top executives and professionals in the PMA community. Members of the Board serve as uncompensated volunteers, devoting their time and resources to the support of the PMA industry. The Association Staff have years of experience in the PMA industry. All MARPA member companies benefit from the collective PMA knowledge within the Board and Staff.
Why Do We Do It? Aircraft parts are a vital sector of the aviation industry, and MARPA acts to represent the interests of the manufacturers of this important resource before the FAA and international aviation agencies. PMA parts are natural draw for anyone that loves competition and loves aviation safety. MARPA promotes the PMA industry, enhancing the competitiveness of all members of the PMA community. MARPA recognizes that increasing levels of aircraft and systems complexity and higher industry utilization create constant safety challenges, so MARPA also works with airworthiness authorities and other aviation companies and associations to help maintain the high levels of safety in the aviation industry that the public has come to expect.
For more information about what MARPA can do for your business, visit the Membership Benefits page, or see the Joining MARPA page for application information.