What is an AS9102 First Article Inspection? (aka FAI)
First Article Inspection (FAI) is a critical quality verification process where a defense or aerospace buyer requires a CNC machine shop to thoroughly evaluate a part from the initial production lot. Governed by SAE AS9102, it provides objective evidence that the shop’s processes, tooling, and programming can repeatedly manufacture components meeting strict military and aviation specifications.
The FAI process consists of three major phases:
- Planning & Ballooning: Identifying and numbering every engineering requirement on the technical drawing.
- Manufacturing & Evaluation: Machining the part and measuring every ballooned characteristic using calibrated tools.
- Documentation & Review: Compiling findings to verify compliance.
The mandatory deliverables are wrapped into a final First Article Inspection Report (FAIR), which includes:
- Form 1: Part Number Accountability
- Form 2: Product Accountability (materials and special processes)
- Form 3: Characteristic Accountability (actual dimensional results)
Resources:
- Review the primary aerospace publishing framework on the SAE AS9102 Standard Page.
- Review the global international governance on the IAQG 9102 Standard Overview.
- Download an executive implementation example from the Lockheed Martin MFC Supplier FAI Guidebook.
- Learn about major aerospace buyer deployment workflows via the Boeing Supplier Portal FAI Planning Page