May 31, 2022

It’s been more than six months since the FAA unveiled its Dynamic Regulatory System and the agency is preparing to decommission the Flight Systems Information Management System (FSIMS). As is already the case for certification-related guidance, the contents of Order 8900.1 must be accessed via the DRS. The agency asked the association for assistance gathering feedback on DRS use.

In May, ARSA asked and 59 respondents answered:

Click the image to see the breakdown of respondents’ experiences with the DRS.

Of those members, responses regarding DRS use were broken into rough thirds. Evenly sized groups reported (1) using the system regularly, (2) knowing of it but rarely or never using it or (3) never having heard of it before answering the question. Most respondents shared initial thoughts or feedback, reflecting the steep learning curve for understanding the DRS search functions, particularly considering the quantity of data returned by any query.

ARSA will share this feedback with the agency. In the meantime, members should invest time in building familiarity with the DRS as the FAA builds more legacy systems into it:

(1) Make sure drs.faa.gov is bookmarked on every computer in your facility and a regular stop for regulatory compliance questions. (EDITOR’S NOTE: The authors encourage you to make the DRS your first stop for questions, but graciously accepted the association’s reminder that members should “Ask ARSA First.”)

(2) Carefully review instructions available at drs.faa.gov/help.

(3) Every time you use the system, consider the experience. How could it be better? Submit thoughts by clicking on “DRS Feedback” on the top banner of the site and submitting the form.

Click here to see what questions have been asked and answered…and keep a lookout for more.

For more information about this or any other question, contact Brett Levanto (brett.levanto@arsa.org).