If you're sourcing aerospace machined parts in Florida, the difference between a shop that says AS9100 and a shop that actually runs an AS9100 program shows up the first time you ask for FAI documentation. Here's what to verify before you place a PO.

1. Ask to see a real FAI package

AS9102 First Article Inspection isn't one form — it's three (Form 1, 2, and 3) plus the supporting ballooned drawing and inspection data. Ask any prospective shop: "Can you email me a redacted FAI from a recent job?"Real aerospace shops will. Shops that "do aerospace" but never deliver full FAI documentation will hesitate.

2. Material traceability — heat lot to part

Your aerospace certs need to trace each part back to the original mill heat lot. That means certs of conformance for raw stock, controlled cut-off and labeling, and a serial-number or lot-number that follows the part through every operation. If a shop can't show you the chain, the part isn't airworthy regardless of what the inspection report says.

3. Calibration program

Every gauge, mic, caliper, CMM, and indicator on the floor should have a current calibration sticker traceable to NIST. Ask to walk the floor and check stickers. A well-run aerospace shop has a calibration coordinator and a documented recall schedule. If the calibration log is "in the office somewhere," keep looking.

4. FOD prevention

Foreign object damage is the silent killer of aerospace deliveries. AS9100 shops run a FOD program: posted FOD zones, controlled tooling check-in/out, blow-down stations, and packaging procedures that protect parts in transit. Ask to see the FOD procedure document.

5. Customer source inspection

Major primes (Boeing, Lockheed, Sikorsky, Northrop) require customer source inspection or DCMA government source on certain parts. Your supplier should know the difference and have hosted an inspector on previous jobs. If they look confused, that's a red flag.

What "aerospace machining" really requires

3-axis VMCs and at least one 4th-axis machine for fixturing accuracy
CMM with a current Form 6 calibration certificate
Surface finish capability to Ra 32 µin or better on most features
Heat-treat partner with Nadcap accreditation
Penetrant / magnetic particle inspection partner network
Anodize and chem-film partners that hold MIL-A-8625 / MIL-DTL-5541

The Florida advantage

Florida has aerospace clusters in Jacksonville (Naval Air Station Jax, Mayport), Melbourne (L3Harris, Northrop), Cape Canaveral (Blue Origin, Space Florida), Tampa (MacDill AFB, Honeywell), and Pensacola (NAS Pensacola). Sourcing locally cuts ITAR shipping risk and keeps parts inside the continental US. From Jacksonville we can drop parts in Melbourne, Tampa, Orlando, and Cape in 4–6 hours by ground.

Common aerospace alloys we machine

Aluminum 6061-T6, 7075-T6, 2024-T3
Stainless 304, 316, 17-4 PH, 15-5 PH
Titanium 6Al-4V (Grade 5)
Inconel 625, 718
4130 chromoly, 4340
PEEK, Ultem, Vespel for non-metallic structures

Documents to send with your aerospace RFQ

STEP file + ballooned PDF drawing
Material spec callout (AMS, MIL-STD)
Surface finish + treatment spec
FAI requirement (yes/no, level)
Source inspection requirement
ITAR / EAR classification of the part
Quantity tiers and delivery dates

We've been making parts for North Florida's aerospace and defense primes since 1956. If you have an AS9100 program coming up, send your drawing and we'll walk through it with you on a call before quoting.