Airworthiness Requirements
Regulations, Airworthiness, Certification, and Documents
Airworthiness Requirements
Objective: The student will be introduced to the airworthiness requirements for VFR flight.
Completion Standards: The student will be able to explain what instruments are required for day and night VFR flight. The student will also be able to explain the various inspections and what a special flight permit is.
References: FAR 91, 43, POH
Equipment: White Board and markers, iPad/ computer
IP’s Actions:
Assess student
State the objective and completion standards
Writes down references
Provide attention getter
Present content
Assessment
Assign Homework
SP’s Actions:
Take notes
Ask Questions
Introduction:
(Attention Getter) : show student pictures of planes that can’t fly.
Motivation: why is it important to know when a plane is good to fly or not?
Overview:
What makes and airplane airworthy?
Required instruments
Equipment list
Airworthiness directives
Compliance records
Inspection requirements
Preventive Maintenance
If something is broken?
Deferring maintenance:
Special flight permit
Special airworthiness certificate
FARs
Content:
What makes and airplane airworthy?
SP-ARROW
S--Supplements
P-- Placards
A--Airworthiness certificate (FAA-issued)
R--Registration (state and federal)
R--Radio license (if flying out of the country)
O--Operating handbook and limitations
W--Weight and balance
Required instruments (91.205)
Day VFR: TOMATO (F)FLAMES Night VFR: Day VFR and FLAPS
Day VFR
Airspeed indicator
Tachometer for each engine
Oil pressure gauge for each engine
Manifold pressure gauge for each engine
Airspeed indicator
Temperature gauge for each liquid-cooled engine
Oil temperature gauge for each air-cooled engine
Fuel gauge indicating the quantity of fuel in each tank
Landing gear position indicator
Altimeter
Magnetic compass
Emergency locator transmitter
Safety belts/shoulder harnesses
Visual Flight Rules (Night)
All equipment required for VFR day flight, and also…
Fuses/ Circuit Breakers
Landing light (electric)
Anti-collision lights
Position lights
Source of electricity for all installed electrical and radio equipment
Equipment list
Specifies all the required equipment approved for installation in the aircraft. Includes the weight and arm of each item, and all the equipment installed when the aircraft left the factory. Usually found in the weight and balance data.
Kinds of equipment list
Listing of the required equipment based on the type of flight intended.
Type certificate
Formal description of the aircraft, engine, or propeller. Lists limitations and information required for type certification including airspeed limits, weight limits, thrust limitations, etc. On FAA website.
Airworthiness directives
Means used to notify aircraft owners and other interested persons of unsafe conditions, and to specify the conditions under which the product may continue to be operated.
Two categories:
Those of an emergency nature, requiring immediate compliance for further flight.
Those of a less urgent nature, requiring compliance within a specific period of time.
Regulatory in nature, should be complied with unless a specific exemption is granted. Aircraft owner/operator’s responsibility to ensure compliance with all pertinent ADs.
Service Bulletin
Manufacturers issue aircraft Service Bulletins
To inform owners and operators about critical and useful information
Aircraft safety
Maintenance,
Product improvement.
Service Bulletins may or may not be mandatory, but you should never ignore them when it comes to safety.
Compliance records [14 CFR Part 91]
Requires record to be maintained showing the status of applicable Ads. Many owners have a chronological listing of the pertinent ADs in the back of their aircraft, engine, and propeller maintenance records.
Inspection requirements [14 CFR Part 91]
Primary responsibility on owner/operator for maintaining aircraft in airworthy condition. After aircraft inspections are complete and all defects repaired, the PIC is responsible for determining whether the aircraft is in condition for safe flight.
A-AV1ATES
A—Airworthiness directives
A—Annual
V—VOR check every 30 days
1—Inspections (annual, 100hr, progressive)
A—Altimeter/pitot static (24)
T—Transponder (24)
E—ELT (12)
S—Static system
Annual inspection
Any reciprocating-engine powered or single-engine-turbojet/turbo-propeller - powered small aircraft (<12,500 lbs) flown for business or pleasure, and not flown for compensation or hire, is required to be inspected at least annually, otherwise it cannot be flown.
Annual inspection must be done by an airframe and powerplant mechanic (A&P) who holds an Inspection Authorization (IA).Aircraft overdue for an annual inspection may be
operated under a Special Flight Permit for the purpose of flying the aircraft to a location where the inspection can be performed.
All applicable ADs that are due must be complied with.
The annual inspection may be substituted for a required 100 hr inspection.
100-hour inspection
All aircraft under 12,500 lbs (except for turbo-powered) that are used to carry passengers for hire, or used for flight instruction for hire
Must be performed by an FAA certificated A&P mechanic, and appropriately rated FAA certificated repair station, or by the aircraft manufacturer.
An IA is not necessary.
The 100-hr limit may be exceeded by not more than 10 hours while en route to reach a place where the inspection can be done. The excess time used must be included in computing the next 100 hours of time in service.
Altimeter system inspection [91.411]
Altimeter, encoding altimeter, and related system must be tested and inspected in the preceding 24 months before operated in controlled airspace under instrument flight rules.
Transponder inspection [91.413]
Before a transponder can be used under 14 CFR Part 91, section 91.125(a), it shall be tested and inspected within the preceding 24 months.
Static system [91.411]
Static system must be checked within the preceding 24 calendar months. Must keep record in the aircraft logbook (for IFR).
VOR
VOR must be checked within the preceding 30 days. Record must be kept in a bound logbook (for IFR).
ELT [91.207]
If operations require an ELT, it must be inspected every 12 calendar months.
Battery replacement:
1Hr cumulative use
50% of battery life remaining
Appropriate record keeping [91.417]
100-hr/annual inspection and inspections required for instruments and equipment necessary for legal VFR/IFR flight are located in the aircraft and engine logbooks.
Removing or installing equipment not on equipment list
The AMT must change the weight and balance record to indicate the new empty weight and empty weight center of gravity. Equipment list must be revised to show which equipment is actually installed.
Repairs and Alterations Preventive Maintenance
Major [14 CFR Part 43, Appendix A]
Must be approved for return to service on FAA Form 337 (Major repairs and major alterations) by an appropriately rated certificated repair station, an FAA certificated A&P mechanic holding an Inspection Authorization, or a representative of the Administrator.
Minor
May be approved for return to service with a proper entry in the maintenance records by an FAA certificated A&P mechanic or an appropriately certificated repair station.
Procedures and limitations for determining airplane airworthiness
If you find inoperative equipment prior to the flight.
If something is broken?
91.205
Check MEL, KOL, COEL
Ads/ bulletins
Personal limitations
Cancel the flight
Obtain maintenance prior to the flight
Defer the item or equipment (not used during flight, follow POH procedures)
Deferring maintenance:
Deferral provisions of 91.213(d)
〉 FAA-Approved MEL
Deferring maintenance without MEL (go through procedure)
^^^^^^^^^
91.205
Check MEL, KOL, COEL
Ads/ bulletins
Personal limitations
Deferring maintenance with MEL
Minimum Equipment List—
A precise listing of instruments, equipment, and procedures that allows an aircraft to be operated under specific conditions with inoperative equipment.
Special flight permit
Talk about what happens if something breaks on a trip
An authorization that may be issued for an aircraft that may not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirement but is safe for a specific flight.
To obtain a special flight permit, contact the local FSDO or Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) for assistance and the necessary forms.
Flying an aircraft to a base where repairs, alterations, or maintenance are to be performed.
Delivering or exporting an aircraft.
Production flight testing new production aircraft.
Evacuating aircraft from areas of impending danger.
Conducting customer demonstration flights.
To allow the operation of an overweight aircraft for flight beyond its normal range where adequate landing facilities or fuel is not available.
Special airworthiness certificate
Ferry, repairs, etc
Delivering new aircraft
Production flight tests
Register aircraft, submit application to local FAA office
Recurring ADs — know what they are for your aircraft
FARs
FAR 91.3—Responsibility and authority of the PIC
The PIC is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of the plane. In an in-flight emergency, the PIC may deviate from any rule of this part to the extend required, and upon the request of the Administrator, send a written report of the deviation to the Administrator.
(a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft.
(b) In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency.
(c) Each pilot in command who deviates from a rule under paragraph (b) of this section shall, upon the request of the Administrator, send a written report of that deviation to the Administrator.
FAR 91.7—Civil aircraft airworthiness
No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition.
Airworthiness Certificate:
Authority and basis for issuance: states the aircraft must conform to the type certificate. The airplane cannot be changed from its type certificate; it must be in the condition it left the factory in. A supplemental type certificate is needed to change the airplane.
Terms and conditions: states that the aircraft must be maintained in accordance with the FARs.
PIC is responsible for determining whether the aircraft is in condition for safe flight, and shall discontinue the flight when unairworthy mechanical, electrical, or structural conditions occur. (Visual inspection)
FAR 91.9—Civil aircraft flight manual, marking, and placard requirements
No person may operate a US-registered civil aircraft for which an airplane/rotorcraft flight manual is required unless the aircraft has a current, approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual, or the manual provided for in 121.141(b). The weight and balance is included in the AFM and is part of the type certificate. It is therefore required.
No person may operate a US-registered civil aircraft for which an airplane/rotorcraft flight manual is not required, unless the aircraft has a current approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual, approved manual material, markings, and placards, or any combination thereof.
The AFM is required in the airplane for airplanes registered after 1979. Not required for airplanes registered before 1979, unless the manufacturer submitted an AFM to the FAA, in which case it is required to be in the airplane.
Without the AFM, all placards, markings, etc. must be in the aircraft.
FAR 91.203—Civil aircraft: Certifications required
No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it has within it
An appropriate and current airworthiness certificate
An effective US registration certificate issued to its owner that is displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers and crew
Except as provided in 91.715.
FAR 91.205—Instrument and equipment requirements
The bare minimum instruments and equipment required for day/night VFR flight and IFR flight.
Acronyms:
VFR Day — ATOMATOFLAMES
VFR Night — FLAPS
IFR — GRABCARD
FAR 91.213(d)--Inoperative instrument and equipment
MEL—an FAA-approved listing of instruments/equipment that may be inoperable and the aircraft still be airworthy. Without an MEL—follow the flow provided in AC 91-67.
Is it required by the aircraft’s equipment list or the kinds of equipment list?
Is it required by the VFR-day type certificate requirements prescribed in the airworthiness certification requirements?
It is required by an AD?
Is it required by FAR 91.205, 91.207, etc.
If no…then the inoperative equipment must be repaired, replaced, removed at the next required inspection and placarded as inoperative.
Finally, PIC decides whether the equipment creates a hazard for the anticipated flight.
FAR 91.400s—Maintenance, preventative maintenance, and alterations (Subpart E)
91.401—Rules governing maintenance, preventative maintenance, alterations of US-registered civil aircraft.
91.405—Maintenance required
Each owner or operator of an aircraft:
Shall have that aircraft inspected as prescribed in Subpart E and shall, between required inspections, have discrepancies repaired as prescribed in Part 43.
Shall ensure that maintenance personnel make appropriate entries in the aircraft maintenance records indicating the aircraft has been approved for return to service.
Shall have any inoperative instrument/equipment, permitted to be inoperative by 91.213(d)(2) repaired, replaced, removed, or inspected at the next required inspection.
Shall ensure that a placard has been installed as required by 43.11 when listed discrepancies include inoperative instruments or equipment.
91.409—Inspections
Annual inspection
100hr inspection, if for rent or for hire
91.411—Altimeter system and altitude reporting equipment
Static pressure system and altimeter tests required for IFR flight (every 24 calendar months).
91.413—ATC transponder tests and inspections
Transponder tests and inspections required every 24 calendar months.
91.207—Emergency locator transmitters (ELT)
Inspection required every 12 calendar months.
Batteries must be replaced or recharged when the transmitter has been in use more than one cumulative hour, or when 50% of their useful life has expired.
Conclusion
What makes and airplane airworthy?
Required instruments
Equipment list
Airworthiness directives
Compliance records
Inspection requirements
Preventive Maintenance
If something is broken?
Deferring maintenance:
Special flight permit
Special airworthiness certificate
FARs
(Questions to assess student)
Is our nose cone required for flight?
Where can we find what is required for day VFR flight?
How can we obtain a special flight permit?
What inspections are there?
HW:
Look over 91.205 and 213 (d)