Ever since man dreamt of emulating birds and ventured to fly, safety and airworthiness have been major issues of concern. Operational demands coupled with extreme environmental stringency make aviation an activity least tolerant of failures. While performance goals could be achieved by the creative genius of the design team, refined by the practical wisdom of experts, a safe and reliable design requires certain safety norms be met. The minimum acceptable levels of safety and reliability necessitate an independent regulatory system which anticipates potential failures, assess deviations in design and manufacture, simulates operational environment severities, evaluates and certifies designs to ensure airworthiness.
The first formal Indian airworthiness certification authority as an independent organization started in 1958 at HAL, Bangalore with the formation of Regional Technical Office, Aircraft. Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), established in 1994, functions from Bangalore, the citadel of aerospace activities in India. The erstwhile Resident Technical Officers, located at various divisions of HAL, R & D establishments and Base Repair Depots (BRDs), later renamed as Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness (RCMA) are brought under the umbrella of CEMILAC, for efficient and effective airworthiness certification. There are eighteen RCMAs spread all over the Country to ensure airworthiness during design, manufacture and overhaul of aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, missiles and airborne stores.
