Preventive Maintenance

It was great to see Jeb Burnside’s February article, “Doing It Yourself,” on owner-performed preventative maintenance (PM) tasks allowed by the FARs. Beside the economic benefits such effort, an aircraft owner will be much more in tune with his or her aircraft and its operating condition. Having been fortunate to have A&P/IAs willing to allow me to help and learn the aircraft during annual inspections and other maintenance endeavors, I am much more informed on issues that arise with continued aircraft operation, and I can give an A&P a heads up on something that may or may not need attention, and I have greater understanding and confidence in the aircraft systems. As Jeb stated, “...it can be a natural extension of your ownership experience,” and I will add rewarding as well.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Owner-performed preventative maintenance (PM) offers economic benefits and enhances understanding of an aircraft, but a "certificate of competency" for PM is specifically required only for rare Primary category aircraft.
The article highlights concerns regarding FAR 91.175, noting that it allows instrument-rated pilots to legally execute approaches when ground visibility is below minimums, distinguishing between ground and flight visibility.
It also advises caution against unconventional flap settings for short-field takeoffs, specifically a reader's suggestion to match flap angle to aileron deflection, recommending adherence to aircraft manual specifications.

See a mistake? Contact us.

It was great to see Jeb Burnside’s February article, “Doing It Yourself,” on owner-performed preventative maintenance (PM) tasks allowed by the FARs. Beside the economic benefits such effort, an aircraft owner will be much more in tune with his or her aircraft and its operating condition. Having been fortunate to have A&P/IAs willing to allow me to help and learn the aircraft during annual inspections and other maintenance endeavors, I am much more informed on issues that arise with continued aircraft operation, and I can give an A&P a heads up on something that may or may not need attention, and I have greater understanding and confidence in the aircraft systems. As Jeb stated, “…it can be a natural extension of your ownership experience,” and I will add rewarding as well.