Aircraft Maintenance Requirements

Question 1

What are the required tests and inspections to be .performed on an aircraft? Include inspections for IFR

Answer 1

A A V 1 A T E
A - annual inspection within the preceding 12 months
A - airworthiness directives and life-limited parts compiled, as required
V - VOR equipment check every 30 days for IFR ops
1 - 100 hour inspection (if aircraft is used for hire or flight instruction)
A - Altimeter, altitude reporting equipment, and static pressure systems tested and inspected every 24 months
T - Transponder tests and inspections, every 24 months
E - Emergency locator transmitter, operation, and battery condition inspected every 12 months

Question 2

What is an annual inspection and which aircraft are required to have annual inspections?

Answer 2

• Complete inspection of aircraft and engine
• Every 12 months
• All certificated aircraft
• only A&P technicians holding an Inspection Authorization can conduct an annual inspection

Question 3

What aircraft are required to have 100 hour inspections?

Answer 3

1. All aircraft under 12,500 pounds used for hire(except turbojet/turboprop multi engine airplanes and turbine rotorcraft)
2. Flight instruction for hire

Question 4

If an aircraft is operated for hire, is it required to have a 100 hour inspection as well as an annual inspection?

Answer 4

Yes if it is operated for hire, it needs both

Question 5

What is the difference between an annual inspection and a 100 hour inspection?

Answer 5

The main difference is WHO is allowed to perform the inspections

• Annual inspections- only A&P mechanics with Inspection Authorization
• 100 hour inspections: may be performed by any A&P mechanic (no IA required)

Question 6

If an aircraft has been on a schedule of inspection every 100 hours, under what condition may it continue to operate beyond the 100 hours without a new inspection?

Answer 6

not more than 10 hours, while en route to a place where the inspection can be done
The excess time it takes to get to the place where the plane is repaired must be included in the 100 hours

Question 7

If the annual inspection date has passed, can an aircraft be operated to a location where the inspection can be performed?

Answer 7

Yes under a Special Flight Permit issued by the FAA for the purpose of flying the aircraft to a location where the annual inspection can be performed.
ALL applicable ADs must be compiled with before the flight.

Question 8

What are “Special Flight Permits” and when are they necessary?

Answer 8

Issued for an aircraft that may not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirements but is capable of safe flight.

Question 9

What are 5 reasons “Special Flight Permits” typically issued for?

Answer 9

1. Flying an aircraft to a base where repairs, alterations or maintenance are to be performed, or to a point of storage
2. Delivering or exporting an aircraft
3. Production flight testing new-production aircraft
4. Evacuating aircraft from area of danger
5. Customer demo flights in new-production

Question 10

How are “Special Flight Permits” obtained?

Answer 10

Necessary forms may be obtained from the local FSDO or Designated Airworthiness Representative

Question 11

After aircraft inspections have been made and defects have been repaired, who is responsible for determining that the aircraft is in airworthy condition?

Answer 11

Pilot in command

Question 12

What regulations apply concerning the operation of an aircraft that has had alterations or repairs which may have substantially affected its operation in flight?

Answer 12

no person may operate or carry passengers in any aircraft that has any alterations that have appreciably changed its flight characteristics until an appropriately-rated pilot with at least a private pilot certificate

1) flies the aircraft
2) Makes an operational check of the maintenance performed of alterations checked
3) Logs the flight in the aircraft records

Question 13

Can a pilot legally conduct flight operations with known inoperative equipment onboard?

Answer 13

Yes, under specific conditions with
1) Approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL)
2) Letter of authorization, issued by the responsible Flight Standards office
HAVE DAVE REVIEW WITH ME

Question 14

What limitations apply to aircraft operations conducted using the deferral provision of 14 CFR 91.23 (d)?

Answer 14

When inoperative equipment is found during preflight or prior to departure, flight should be cancelled, obtain maintenance prior to flight, or defer the item or equipment

Question 15

During the preflight inspection in an aircraft that doesn’t have a MEL, you that an instrument or equipment is inoperative. Describe how you will determine if the aircraft is still airworthy.

Answer 15

I will ask myself the following questions:
1) Are the inoperative instruments or equipment part of the VFR day type certification?
2) Are the inoperative instruments or equipment listed as “Required” on the aircraft’s equipment list or “Kinds of Operations Equipment List”?
3) Are the inoperative instruments or equipment required according to the FARs? (for example, VFR, IFR, day, night)
4) Are the inoperative instruments or equipment required to be operational by an AD?
If the answer is YES to any of these, the aircraft is NOT worthy
Any inoperative equipment must be removed or deactivated from the aircraft

Question 16

What are the Minimum Equipment Lists?

Answer 16

The MEL is a precise listing of instruments, equipment, and procedures that allows an aircraft to be operated under specific conditions with inoperative equipment.

Question 17

Who approves the MEL?

Answer 17

FAA

Question 18

For an aircraft with an approved MEL, explain the decision sequence a pilot would use after discovering the position lights are inoperative?

Answer 18

1) Pilot would make an entry in the maintenance record or discrepancy record
2) Item is then either repaired or deferred in accordance with MEL
3) Once confirmed with inoperative position lights is acceptable with the MEL, Position Lights switch is turned OFF, open the circuit breaker, and placard the position light switch as INOPERATIVE

Question 19

Explain the limitations that apply to aircraft operations being conducted using an MEL?

Answer 19

MEL for small, non-turbine powered airplanes allows for deferral of inoperative items or equipment.
FAA considers an approved MEL to be a supplemental type certificate
Once a Letter of Authorization is issued by the FAA, then the MEL becomes mandatory for that aircraft

Question 20

What instruments and equipment are required for VFR day flight?

Answer 20

ATOM ATO FFLAMES
A- Anticollision light system-aviation red or white for small airplanes certificated after March 11, 1996
T- Tachometer for each engine
O- Oil pressure gauge for each engine
M- Manifold pressure gauge (for each altitude engine, ie. turbo-charged)
A - Altimeter
T- Temperature gauge for each liquid-cooled engine
O- Oil temperature gauge for each air-cooled engine
F-Fuel gauge indicating the quantity in each tank
F- Flotation gear- if operated for hire over water beyond power-off gliding
L-Landing gear position indicator, if airplane has retractable gear
A- Airspeed indicator
M-Magnetic direction indicator
E- Emergency locator transmitter
S-Safety belts (and shoulder harness for each front seat in aircraft manufactured after 1978)

Question 21

What instruments and equipment are required for VFR night flight?

Answer 21

FLAPS
F- Fuses -one spare set or three fuses of each kind required accessible to the pilot in flight
L- landing light- if the aircraft is operated for hire
A- Anticollision light system- approved aviation red or white
P- position lights (navigation lights)
S -Source of electrical energy- adequate for all installed electrical and radio equipment

Question 22

Who can perform maintenance on an aircraft?

Answer 22

Any of these:
FAA-certificated A&P mechanic
A&P mechanic with Inspector authorization
FAA certificated repair station
Aircraft manufacturer

Question 23

Define “preventive maintenance”.

Answer 23

simple or minor preservation operations and the replacement of small standard parts not involving complex assembly operations

Question 24

Who can perform preventive maintenance?

Answer 24

Certificated pilots, excluding student pilots, sport pilots and recreational pilots

Question 25

Where can you find items approved for preventive maintenance?

Answer 25

14 CFR Part 43, Appendix A Paragraph C

Question 26

What logbook entry information is required of the person performing preventive maintenance?

Answer 26

Description of work
Date of completion
Pilot’s name, signature, certificate number and type of certificate held