“Burn test” and “burn certificate” are often used as if they mean the same thing. They do not—and neither phrase, standing alone, tells you that a finished aircraft interior is approved.
The burn test is the procedure and result
A flammability test exposes a defined specimen and construction to a specified procedure, then records the result. Under 14 CFR 25.853, Appendix F contains different procedures for different materials and aircraft-interior components.
The meaningful questions are what was tested, in what construction, under which procedure, and how the result connects to the material being supplied.
The “certificate” is a document, not the test itself
In upholstery sales, “burn certificate” is often shorthand for manufacturer or supplier documentation describing a material’s flammability test information. The document may be useful evidence, but the label certificate does not make it FAA approval of the material for every use.
FAA cabin-interior guidance warns that manufacturer or supplier certification alone does not satisfy every FAA compliance requirement. The accepting authority may need additional substantiation, witnessed testing, conformity, or project-specific records.
What to confirm with the responsible aviation professional
- Which aircraft rule and certification basis applies?
- Which material or component test procedure is required?
- Must the test represent the upholstery alone or the complete construction?
- How must the supplied material be identified to the record?
- Who reviews and accepts the evidence for the installation?
Carolyn Fabrics documentation boundaries
For Spirit Millennium vinyl, required manufacturer burn-test documentation must be requested with the order and may not be available after shipment.
For Slipstream leather, each full hide includes Carolyn Fabrics-branded manufacturer production-order material-test documentation matched to the shipped color and dye lot. It records the leather material’s FAR 25.853 12-second vertical test results.
In both cases, the documentation is material evidence. It is not approval of an aircraft, seat, or finished installation.
Confirm the exact documentation and approval path with the responsible A&P, IA, repair station, engineer, or other applicable authority before ordering, cutting, or installing upholstery material.