Definition
A class of FAA airworthiness certificate issued for an aircraft that has not yet received full type certification, allowing it to be operated for specific limited purposes -- such as manufacturer flight testing, crew training, market surveys, or demonstrations -- under defined operating limitations.
Plain English
A temporary FAA approval that lets an aircraft fly for a narrow set of approved reasons before it has earned its full, standard certification.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft certification and airworthiness discussions, especially around new aircraft designs, test programs, manufacturer operations, and limited demonstration flights.
Derivation
Provisional' comes from the Latin 'provisio,' meaning 'a providing or preparation in advance.' In aviation it signals that the certificate is a stepping-stone -- something granted in advance of full approval, valid only while specific conditions are met.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots operating newly developed aircraft under these certificates must observe strict operational limits to remain legal and safe during testing or delivery.
Intuition Check
Provisional does not mean “almost airworthy” or “approved for normal use.” It means the FAA approval is temporary, limited, and tied to specific conditions for that aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
The manufacturer operated the new transport aircraft under a provisional airworthiness certificate while completing the flight tests required for full type certification.
Example Sentence 2
Before standard certification, the test aircraft operated under provisional airworthiness certificates with restrictions on passenger carrying and flight envelope.