Since many aftermarket products are certified under AML STC (thats blanket approval for a large number of aircraft models), the demand for FAA field approvals has lessened over recent years, but the process is complex. Field approvals require sizable amounts of paperwork and coordination on the part of the installer, while the aircraft owner absorbs the cost and downtime. Shops we talked with are frustrated with the process.
The FAA Flight Standards division declined our request for an interview, but agreed to respond to a written query about what the FAA is doing to ease the process of obtaining field certification, why some approval requests on the FSDO level are being passed off to ACOs and what its doing to ensure across-the-board standardization.