FAI basics

FAIR: AS9102 glossary definition

FAIR stands for First Article Inspection Report, the controlled package of AS9102 forms, drawing evidence, certificates, results, approvals, and attachments used to document an FAI.

Updated July 3, 2026

What FAIR means

FAIR stands for First Article Inspection Report, the controlled package of AS9102 forms, drawing evidence, certificates, results, approvals, and attachments used to document an FAI.

A FAIR is more than a spreadsheet. It is the review record that shows why a part is accepted, where every required characteristic was checked, and which evidence supports the submitted forms.

Use this term as a review cue: it should help connect a drawing requirement, specification, certificate, result, or approval field to the evidence a customer will inspect. If the purchase order or customer portal uses stricter wording, follow that controlled source instead of this glossary entry.

Where it appears in AS9102

The report normally includes Form 1 part number accountability, Form 2 product accountability, Form 3 characteristic accountability, the source drawing, balloon overlay, objective evidence, validation results, and reviewer approvals.

In an Articul review, this term is treated as part of the traceability path from source drawing or flowed requirement to form field, evidence, validation issue, and final approval. Use the AS9102 standard text as the controlled source, and use this glossary to clarify reviewer-facing meaning before export. When the term is ambiguous, keep the reviewer note close to the row or field it affects.

Review notes

A useful FAIR lets a customer or internal quality reviewer move from a form field back to the drawing location and supporting evidence without guessing.
Do not use FAIR as shorthand for only Form 3. Missing Form 1 scope decisions or Form 2 certificates can block release even when characteristic rows are complete.
Keep wording, units, identifiers, and attachment names consistent across the drawing, Forms 1-3, evidence files, and any customer portal submission.

AS9102 Forms 1-3 guideField-by-field hub for the complete FAIR package FAI checklistPre-release AS9102 package review list AS9102 Form 3 templateCharacteristic accountability workbook and completed example

First Article InspectionFirst Article Inspection is the planned verification that a first production-representative part was made from the released drawing, specifications, processes, and purchase order flowdowns.Part Number AccountabilityPart number accountability is the Form 1 discipline of identifying the exact part, revision, drawing baseline, organization, assembly relationship, FAI type, and approval state for the FAIR.Characteristic AccountabilityCharacteristic accountability is the Form 3 discipline of listing every design characteristic, its requirement, its inspection result, and any needed nonconformance reference.

FAQ

What does FAIR mean in an AS9102 FAIR?

FAIR stands for First Article Inspection Report, the controlled package of AS9102 forms, drawing evidence, certificates, results, approvals, and attachments used to document an FAI. A useful FAIR lets a customer or internal quality reviewer move from a form field back to the drawing location and supporting evidence without guessing.

Source notes

This Articul glossary entry is based on the public AS9102 field matrix used in product validation and on the internal review patterns linked from the related guides. It is not a replacement for purchased AS9102 text, customer requirements, or purchase order flowdowns.

Changelog

July 3, 2026: Published the first FAIR glossary entry with DefinedTerm, FAQPage, and BreadcrumbList schema plus links to related AS9102 guides and terms.

Keep the FAIR review tied to the print

Articul pre-fills Forms 1-3 from the print and routes anything uncertain to you, including drawing notes and title-block fields, while preserving source traceability for review.

Upload a drawing

Hosted upload is for non-controlled drawings only. Do not upload export-controlled (ITAR/EAR) technical data to hosted; ask about self-host.