Aircraft Maintenance Requirements - Preventive maintenance means simple or minor preservation operations and the replacement of small standard parts not involving complex assembly operations. The holder of a pilot certificate issued under FAR 61 may perform preventive maintenance on any aircraft owned or operated by the pilot that is not used in air carrier service or air taxi.
All other maintenance, repairs, rebuilding or alterations must be performed by persons authorized to do so by the FAA. Installed ELT's must be inspected within 12 calendar months after the last inspection for proper installation, battery corrosion, operation of the controls/crash sensor, and sufficient signal strength.
Aircraft Maintenance Requirements
While this check is not necessarily required to be accomplished during the annual inspection, it would be a convenient time to do it. The FAA states that whenever an aircraft or engine manufacturer determines, through service experience, that its product may be improved by some modification, or that the service life of its product may be extended by some particular maintenance or repair, that manufacturer may issue a service
Preventive Maintenance
bulletin. The latter will tell what the problem is and how to remedy it. Pilot's Guide to Preventive Maintenance By performing routine maintenance on their own aircraft pilots not only become better educated about the equipment they fly, but might also save a substantial percentage of their annual maintenance costs.
The 100-hour limit may be exceeded by 10 hours for the purposes of flying to a place where the inspection can be done. The excess time must be included in computing the next 100 hours of time in service.
The Prepurchase inspection is a pilot defined inspection typically done on an aircraft before purchase. The inspection can be a thorough as an annual and as measly as a glance over the aircraft. The purpose is to locate any "unknown" problems with the aircraft before buying it, and to have a mechanics opinion on the overall quality of the plane.
A ferry permit is required to fly an aircraft that is out of annual, such as in the case of flying to another airport for the inspection. Contact your local FSDO for instructions on applying for a ferry permit.
Manufacturers Service Bulletins
The Federal Aviation Regulation requires a presentation showing the current status of applicable airworthiness directives, including the method of compliance, and the signature and certificate number of the mechanic or repair agency who complied with the AD.
Even the "pros" of our industry admit they need to be reminded from time to time of the basics of General Aviation maintenance. Therefore to review, the term maintenance means the inspection, overhaul, repair, upkeep and preservation of an aircraft and engine, including the replacement of parts, according to the FAA.
The owner/operator is responsible for the proper maintenance of his aircraft and engine. The pilot in command of an airplane is responsible for: The aircraft's static system, altimeter, and automatic altitude-reporting (Mode C) system must have been inspected and tested in the preceding 24 calendar months before flying IFR in controlled airspace.
FAR 43 Appendix E, Altimeter System Test and Inspection, lists the items that must be checked. The authority to use a progressive inspection plan is non-transferable. Once the aircraft is sold, an annual (or if applicable, a 100-hour) inspection must be endorsed within 12 calendar months (or 100 hours) of the last complete cycle.
Aircraft Flight Test After Repair Or Alteration
The FAA reminds us that whenever a repair or alteration has been made to your aircraft or engine, the person authorized to return the aircraft to service should decide if the flight characteristics have changed or if operation in flight has been substantially affected.
If the decision is affirmative, the aircraft must be flight tested before it may be used to carry passengers in accordance with FAR 91.407. The test pilot must make an operational check of the maintenance performed and log the flight and findings in the aircraft records.
Inspection requirements differ with the various uses of aircraft. For example, aircraft being used for compensation or hire must have a thorough inspection every one-hundred hours. Most aircraft, including those used for compensation or hire are required to have a complete inspection every year (see annual inspection).
This subject report will discuss each type of inspection, and explain when each should be done, which aircraft it applies to, and what it should involve. Guide to Aircraft Inspections In order to provide a reasonable assurance that aircraft are functioning properly, the FAA requires a series of aircraft inspections;
-Hour Inspection
somewhat similar to the many currency requirements for airman. This report outlines the basic inspection requirements for aircraft. The annual must be completed and properly endorsed by a mechanic with an inspection authorization (IA) within the preceding 12 calendar months.
For example, if the aircraft's annual is endorsed on March 15, 2012, the next annual is due before April 1, 2013; otherwise the aircraft may not be flown without authorization (such as with a ferry permit).
Several General Aviation airframe manufacturers have established sound Progressive Maintenance programs with FAA approval. Owners and operators are reminded that certain FAA requirements must be met before a Progressive Maintenance program can be used. These requirements are contained in the Federal Aviation Regulations, Part 43, "Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding and Alteration," and Part 91.409, "General Operating and Flight Rules."
If a flight instructor provides an aircraft, or any operation that supplies both flight instruction and an aircraft, that aircraft is subject to the 100-hour inspection. An aircraft provided by the (student) pilot, who is receiving instruction, is not subject to the 100-hour inspection.
Airworthiness Directives
FAR 91.409 establishes minimum requirements pertaining to annual and 100-hour inspections. Not only does the FAA require these inspections, but they stipulate in FAR 91.405 that the owner/operator must maintain the airworthiness of the aircraft and engine during the time between the required inspections by having any airworthiness defects corrected and by ensuring that maintenance personnel make the
proper entries in aircraft records approving the return to service. Although maintenance requirements will vary for different types of aircraft, the FAA states that experience shows most aircraft will need some type of preventive maintenance after every 25 hours of flying time and minor maintenance at least every 100 hours.
An aircraft used to carry passengers for hire, or for flight instruction for hire, must be inspected within each 100 hours of time in service by either a certified A&P mechanic, an appropriately rated certified repair station or the manufacturer.
The annual inspection is acceptable as a 100-hour inspection, but the reverse is not true. Except as noted under "Preventive Maintenance," all repairs and alterations are classified as either Major or Minor. Major repairs or alterations must be approved and returned to service by an appropriately rated certified repair facility, an A&P mechanic holding an Inspection Authorization or a representative of the FAA.
Importance To Members
Minor repairs and alterations may be returned to service by an appropriately rated certified A&P mechanic or repair facility Best Practices Guide for Maintaining Aging General Aviation Airplanes This document provides owners of aging single-engine airplanes guidance about maintaining the airworthiness of their airplanes.
The general aviation (GA) fleet is aging. In 2000, the average age of the nation's 150,000 single-engine fleet was more than 30 years. By 2020, the average age could approach 50 years. This guide for maintaining older airplanes consists of "best practices" that go beyond normal inspection requirements.
The service bulletin is mandatory because it supplements the manufacturer’s maintenance manual that is required by FARs. The service bulletin usually addresses those items that affect flight safety. The Lycoming overhaul manual and all applicable service bulletins and service instructions, used in conjunction with the appropriate operator's manuals, constitute the engine maintenance manual required by the FAA / FAR 43.13.
Airworthiness Directives, commonly referred to as “AD Notes,” provide aircraft owners with information about unsafe conditions. The ADs specify the aircraft or component found to be unsafe by the FAA, and the conditions, limitations or inspections, if any, under which the aircraft may continue to be operated.
The transponder must be inspected every 24 calendar months. FAR 43 Appendix F, ATC Transponder Tests and Inspections, lists the items that must be checked. To use a transponder, it must be inspected every 24 calendar months.
Additionally, the installation of or modification to a transponder must be inspected for data errors as well. In order to provide a reasonable assurance that aircraft are functioning properly, the FAA requires a series of aircraft inspections;
somewhat similar to the many currency requirements for airman. This report outlines the basic inspection requirements for aircraft. In addition to service bulletins, Lycoming also publishes service instructions and service letters. A service instruction is product information that also becomes part of the manufacturer maintenance manual, and therefore compliance with these publications by owners and operators is required.
The service letter at Lycoming is product information which can be optional to the pilot/owner. It is the aircraft owner or operator's mandatory responsibility to ensure compliance with all relevant AD notes. This includes those ADs of a recurrent or repetitive nature;
for example, an AD may require a certain inspection every 100 hours. This means that the particular inspection shall be made and recorded after every 100 hours of flight time. Aircraft Corrosion An aircraft, like any metal object, is inherently prone to corrosion.
There is a lot of time spent painting an aircraft to help delay corrosion, but inevitably, nature will prevail. Usually the development of corrosion will depend on how old the aircraft is, what type of environment it is based in, whether or not it is hangared, and how often it is cleaned.
This subject report discusses the different types of corrosion, and how to recognize them.
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