DCT Watch: weekly FAA DCT and Order 8900.1 changes
What our weekly refresh of the FAA Dynamic Regulatory System found: new DCT revisions, archived lower revisions and refreshed 8900.1 sections, plus Part 135 Watch rule and notice updates.
Resources
Primers on the FAA's certification and oversight system
Written from the regulations, FAA Order 8900.1, current Notices and the DCT bank itself — by a sitting Part 135 Director of Operations who has built multiple certificates — and refreshed as FAA policy changes. Last refresh: November 2026, covering the N 8900.766 readiness checklist, N 8900.775 withdrawal rules and the September 30, 2026 move of initial Part 135 applications to AIS Services.
Can a Company Build Your Part 135 Certificate for You?
Yes — and this is what that means: what a complete 2026 application contains and costs, how the FAA's readiness tiers and AIS Services changed the sequence, and why the certificate should be derived from the business plan — not the other way around.
How to Get an FAA Part 145 Repair Station Certificate
The ten-step roadmap from Station Definition to Air Agency Certificate: what is due up front, the FAA's clocks, what fails a manual, and how to plan the shop's spending against the FAA's schedule.
How Long Does Part 135 Certification Take?
The phases, the realistic timelines, and what changed in 2026: the readiness checklist, the Applicant List, the 15-day clocks and the move to AIS Services.
What Are SAS DCTs? ED/DA and EP/PA Explained
The two assessments, who completes which, peer groups 135B–E, DCT revisions, and what a defensible answer looks like.
DCT vs. SOC: When the FAA Wants More Than Answered DCTs
How the two instruments differ, when each is required — and why the compliance statement is now a front-loaded requirement for every applicant.
Preparing for an FAA SAS DCT Review
What the inspector is evaluating, what to stage, the five reasons answers get sent back, and why DCT revision currency now matters.
OpSpecs Explained: How Operations Specifications Scope Your Certificate
The lettered parts (including the new P-series), the paragraphs that anchor everything, amendment lead times, and why OpSpecs decide every DCT answer.
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