A FAIR is a First Article Inspection Report, a structured document used in aerospace and other regulated manufacturing to demonstrate that a newly produced or significantly changed part meets all applicable design, drawing, and specification requirements. It captures the inspection results, traceability data, and approvals associated with a First Article Inspection (FAI) activity.
What a FAIR includes
In an aerospace context, a FAIR typically includes:
- Part and assembly identification (part numbers, revisions, serial or lot numbers)
- Customer, supplier, and purchase order information
- Drawing and specification references, including revision levels
- Ballooned (numbered) characteristics linked to inspection results
- Measured values for each characteristic and pass/fail status
- Material, special process, and test records references
- Manufacturing process, operation, or router references
- Signatures or electronic approvals by quality and/or customer representatives
FAIRs are often generated to align with the AS9102 First Article Inspection standard, but the term is also used more broadly for similar reports in other regulated sectors.
Operational use in manufacturing systems
Operationally, FAIRs appear as controlled documents and dataset records that connect engineering, production, and quality systems. They may be:
- Created from templates that follow AS9102 or customer-specific formats
- Linked to bill of materials (BOM), CAD models, and ballooned drawings
- Populated using data from MES, ERP, PLM, and measurement systems
- Managed under document control and revision governance for repeat builds
- Stored as part of the product or lot history for audit and customer review
Digital FAIR forms often implement validation rules, required fields, characteristic libraries, and workflow enforcement to reduce manual errors compared with spreadsheet-based approaches.
Common confusion
FAIR vs. FAI: FAI (First Article Inspection) refers to the activity and process of verifying a part against design requirements. FAIR (First Article Inspection Report) refers to the documented record of that inspection. In practice, many people use FAI and FAIR interchangeably, but the report is the output of the inspection process.
FAIR vs. general inspection report: A FAIR is specific to first article or initial production validation (for a new part, new supplier, or significant change). Routine in-process or final inspection reports are related but are not typically referred to as FAIRs unless they are fulfilling a first article requirement.
Relationship to AS9102 and aerospace compliance
Under common aerospace practices, a FAIR is structured to align with AS9102 requirements for First Article Inspection. This often includes standardized forms (such as separate forms for part identification, product accountability, and characteristic accountability) and consistent traceability to drawings, specifications, and manufacturing processes. Digital FAIR workflows may integrate with platforms such as MES, PLM, and customer portals to support submission, approval, and long-term retention.