Status Report on Aerospace Metrication

Following passage of PL 94-168, the transition to the use of metric units within the United States has been very slow. The lack of a national plan with no clear understanding or agreement concerning the source of the funds required to effect the transition have been major impediments. There are international pressures from the international standards-making organizations, the ICAO and NATO, to proceed with the unification of standards. Within the commercial aviation field, the United States is resisting the pressure, but is participating in international standardization activities because of a general recognition of the need to support future market requirements and to assist in the resolution of a significant NATO logistics problem. The AIA, with the SAE and other standards-making organizations, is attempting to secure a harmonization of United States and AECMA metric standards. The future transition progress is not expected to accelerate significantly until metric standards are available.