FAA Part 21 Certification Procedures for Products and Parts C1701

Barbara Capron is the owner and president of Aviation Regulatory Compliance Specialists, LLC, which specializes in assisting aviation design and manufacturing applicants and holders with compliance to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. Prior to opening her own business, Ms. Capron was a Senior Aviation Safety Inspector (Mfg.) with the Federal Aviation Administration for twenty-two years.

Ms. Capron joined the FAA in 1996 as an Aviation Safety Inspector in Van Nuys, CA., where she served as a Principal Inspector for thirty-two companies and twenty-one designees. In 1998 she transferred to the Production and Airworthiness Division (AIR-200) in Washington, DC where she developed aviation policy and regulatory language until 2010. In 2010, Ms. Capron transferred to the FAA’s Academy in Oklahoma City to become the course manager for Part 21, Certification Procedures for Products and Articles, as well as teaching in several other FAA courses. In 2014, Ms. Capron returned to Washington, DC, where she continued to work on rulemaking until her retirement in 2018.

Ms. Capron holds a Masters of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle University, with dual specializations in Human Factors and Safety Systems. Ms. Capron also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in Aviation Management, as well as an Airframe and Powerplant license. In addition, Ms. Capron has numerous certificates of training, including ISO and Quality System Auditing. Ms. Capron currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

David Downey is a consultant and trainer in the aviation and defense sectors for Downey Aviation Services. Mr. Downey previously served as President, North America, at Aerosafe Risk Management. Prior to that role he was a Vice President at Bell Helicopter where he was responsible for Systems Engineering, Engineering Operations, Flight Test Operations, Flight Safety, the Bell Organization Delegation Authorization and the Product Safety Board. Prior to joining Bell, Mr. Downey was a member of the FAA Senior Executive Service where he served as the Manager, FAA Rotorcraft Directorate in Fort Worth, Texas. He provided strategic direction on all aspects of rotorcraft and tilt-rotor policy/certification. In this position he was also responsible for all FAA experimental flight test policy, training and administration. He was a Team Leader on the FAA Safer Skies Commercial Aviation safety program. As Co-Chair of the International Helicopter Safety Team, Mr. Downey achieved a 33% reduction in the number of U. S. fatal helicopter accidents. He has FAA engineering and manufacturing experience with engines, propellers, APUs, UAVs and airplanes. He is an FAA DER. He has also worked closely with the NTSB and international Aviation Authorities such as TCCA, EASA, CAAC and ICAO. Mr. Downey began his career as a U. S. Army Pilot. His aviation experience includes over 4000 hours of fixed and rotary wing accident-free flying on 125 different models. He holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot rating as well as single/multi engine land/seaplane and helicopter commercial pilot, and CFI ground. Mr. Downey is the 2010 Society of Experimental Test Pilots Tony LaVier Flight Safety Award for life time achievement in Flight Safety. A published author and international public speaker on aviation and leadership, Mr. Downey graduated from the University of Tennessee Space Institute with an MS and earned his BS from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also a graduate of the US Navy Test Pilot School.

Jennifer Kuehn is currently an instructor for SAE. She has been teaching Aircraft Certification Basics since May 2020. Jennifer retired from the FAA in April 2020 after 33 years of service. From December 1999 to her retirement, Jennifer was a project manager responsible for managing Type Certificate projects including the Bell Model 525 project as well as a variety of Supplemental Type Certificate projects. She also led Delegated Organization Inspection Program inspections and provided on the job training to the other members of her office. In July 2014, Jennifer was selected for the AVS Leadership Award for a non-manager. Her actions and accomplishments helped the FAA meet its commitments, build a stronger FAA oversight team, and improve the capabilities of BHTI’s Organization Designation Authorization (ODA).

From May 2019 to February 2020 Jennifer was an adjunct instructor at the FAA Academy. She volunteered several times a year to teach Certification Procedures for Products and Articles (14 CFR Part 21) to personnel from Aircraft Certification Service, Flight Standards, and industry.

Fred Stellar served as Director of Certification and FAA's Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) lead administrator to issue Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI) Supplement Type Certificates (STCs). Prior to joining AHI, Fred was the lead administrator for Bell Helicopter's ODA and manager of the civil certification group. He served to oversee development and certification of TC's and STC's. While a manager in the Federal Aviation Administration Stellar served in the aircraft certification office responsible for oversight and certification of Part 25 airplane modifications in Fort Worth, Texas. Fred also served 4 years managing the FAA International Policy Office in Brussels, Belgium where he worked closely with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Stellar served as a Research Assistant Professor of Aviation Systems with the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) where he taught a broad spectrum of graduate applied engineering courses focused on the aircraft certification processes as well as managing UTSI flight operations and maintenance activities for the University\'s research aircraft. Before his civil aviation experience, Stellar was a 22-year veteran of the Army where his aviation assignments included experimental test pilot and assistant professor in the engineering department at West Point. Stellar earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. He is a graduate of the US Navy Test Pilot School.  He also earned a Master of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of the Program Manager course at the Defense Systems Management College. He holds a FAA commercial pilot license with helicopter, single/multi-engine airplane, and instrument ratings. He has more than 3200 accident-free flying hours in over 65 different aircraft.

Brian Yañez worked for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for 40 years prior to retirement. He worked as an International Program Manager for the last 21 years. He was an Advisor to the U.S. Panel Member on the ICAO Airworthiness Panel for the past seven years. He was a Rapporteur for Working Group 4 (Products) for five of those years. For 6 years he served as the Technical Assessment Manager leading an FAA team assessing the Korean Office of Civil Aviation. This led to the expansion of the U.S./Republic of Korea Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement. Prior to that he served as the FAA Representative to the Joint Aviation Authorities of Europe Certification Sectoral Team. In addition, he was involved in various international issues within the Aircraft Engineering Division, the Small Airplane Directorate and the Policy and Innovation Division.

Prior to this he served five years as the Manager of the Certification Procedure Branch. This branch was responsible for the development of regulations, policies and guidance for how the design of aviation products and parts are approved in the U.S (14 CFR part 21 and related FAA Directives and Advisory Circulars). This scope also included the related designees and delegations (14 CFR part 183, SFAR 36 and related FAA Directives and Advisory Circulars). He worked five years as a staff member in the Continued Airworthiness Staff and the Certification Procedures Branches.

Prior to that he worked eight years as an aviation safety engineer in various roles in the Wichita Aircraft Certification Office. He worked airframe (including structural dynamics), systems and field service engineering.