I’m a huge fan of plane owners who take satisfaction in their upkeep. Luckily, the FAA has an upkeep clause for proprietors.
“The person holding a pilot license and aircraft maintenance logbook issued under Part 61 may carry out preventive maintenance on any plane owned or operated by that pilot, which isn’t applied under Part 121, 127, 129 or 135, ” states Part 43 of federal aviation regulations. “his implies that the owner or operator of the plane is legally allowed to do preventive maintenance without the supervision of a mechanic. To find out which upkeep responsibilities are permissible, though, you have to thoroughly read Part 43. Any upkeep you carry out will have to be in total compliance with federal aviation regulations. This includes all of the required steps as well as logbook entries. Even though many users are knowledgeable in the fundamentals of oil changes and spark plug cleaning, they’re not as well versed in the requirements for maintenance logbooks.
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The rules require that all upkeep must be recorded in the logbooks of the plane appropriately
This holds especially true for proprietor upkeep. You have to log the following each time you carry out upkeep :
The purpose of the examination and also the day of the inspection as well as the complete period of the plane in service, The signature of the individual disapproving or approving The return to service of the plane, appliance, propeller, airframe, part thereof.
A common oil change could be incorporated in the motor logbook as follows:
/23/15 3025TT Airframe, 1222 SMOH Engine Drained engine oil and replaced using 7qts. Petroleum 20W50. I’ve changed the 48110 oil filtration system as well as the safety wire. A small amount of engine oil had been taken as well as sent for analysis. No leaks were discovered during an engine test run.
Jeffrey Simon
Pilot license # # 111223333, proprietor, pilot.
Although this might seem like a minor detail, in the eyes of the FAA it’s a significant responsibility to make certain that the logbook entries are correct. Furthermore, the information you supply will become a part of the long-term upkeep history of the aircraft. Although you might wish to maintain your airplane for life, even the very best of plans are subject to change. When reviewing logbooks as part of a pre-purchase examination, exactly what do you wish the customer to consider?
The existence of incomplete or messy entries suggests the aircraft wasn’t kept to a very high standard
In the event you do not log an oil change, it increases the chance it was not done, which is a red flag for a potential customer.
Consequently, you need to attempt to make your logbook entries professional and represent your very best work. Make use of previous upkeep documents as a model for consistency. You can make entries on your computer and have them printed out on labels to place on the logbook pages (be sure you sign the pages before you publish them). In the event you find yourself needing to review logbooks down the road, you will value the attention to the details. Your aviation logs are, after all, much more than simply a history of your upkeep activities. Have a great time flying, till the next time!
