RTCA Special Committees (SCs) leverage the expertise of the best and the brightest in the aviation community to generate recommendations. RTCA works with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop comprehensive, industry-vetted and endorsed standards that can be used as means of compliance with FAA regulations.

Special Committees develop Safety Performance Requirements (SPR), Operational Services and Environment Definitions (OSED), Interoperability Requirements (INTEROP), Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS), Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS), reports and guidelines. These documents shape the certification of the safety and efficiency of new equipment and provide a competitive market for the implementation of these technologies. MASPS and MOPS are frequently referred to by the FAA in Technical Standard Orders and Advisory Circulars and, thereby, provide a partial basis for the certification of equipment. RTCA documents are also used by the private sector for development, investment and other business decisions.