How to Make Sure That Your Airplane Annual is Complete 

You finally received that fancy stamp in the airframe logbook for your airplane’s annual inspection, and it is time to go flying. Whether you want to take your family flying, or you have a long cross country planned for an important business trip, safety and airworthiness are always of the most importance. As pilot in command, PIC, you are, however, solely responsible for every aspect of your airplane. That includes relatively small things like placards and emergency locator transmitters, as well as major items like airworthiness directives (AD’s) and inoperative equipment.

While a more thorough preflight inspection is good practice before that first flight, how do you know that everything in your airplane is ready for flight? And if you stop to think about it, what standards do you have to identify the quality of your annual inspection?  

In this article, you will learn the four Cs of an airplane annual for which standards you can set to identify the validity and completion of that once a year inspection. As you may know, chapter 14 of the code of federal regulations, lovingly known as the FARs, Part 91.409(a)(1), simply states that an annual inspection is required every 12 calendar months. Also, it must meet the minimum scope of Part 43 Appendix D or the manufacturer’s checklist. Last, the results of the inspection must be accompanied by an endorsement from the appropriately related facility or person performing the inspection. However, to help you better understand the aspects of an annul inspection, you can use the four Cs to double check the quality and completion of that once a year logbook endorsement.

THE FOUR Cs ARE COMPLIANCE, CONFORMITY, CONDITION AND CONTENT.

Let’s take a deep dive into the meaning of the four Cs: 

#1 – Compliance 

While the “Airman’s Information Manual,” is a great resource for learning about the many aspects of operating your airplane within the national airspace system, it is informational only and non-regulatory. However, at the end of the day, the regulations are what matter most. Further, following the law is very important to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and it should be equally important to you too.  

Your airplane must follow, or “be in compliance,” with the many rules that govern its airworthy certificate. For instance, it must be registered with the FAA, it must be operated under the category it was certified, and if it has airworthiness directives, those must be complied with. While not regulatory, the manufacturer may have issued service bulletins and serviced letters that should be complied with. For some airplanes, the manufacturer has a limitations section which places time limits, either in flight hours or in calendar months, on various parts on the airplanes, including its wings. As an example, the Piper Tomahawk (PA38-112) requires that its trim springs, amongst other airframe parts, be replaced every 1,500 hours of operation. Of course, one of the most known rules of compliance is the annual inspection.  

#2 – Conformity 

Completing paperwork trail, checking off boxes, and staying in compliance also means conforming to rules and regulations with very specific requirements. Much like spins and aerobatics are not authorized in a normal category airplane, you and your inspecting technician must confirm that the airplane conforms to its original design criteria, the type certificate data sheet (TCDS), plus any subsequent approved major alterations and major repairs. We do not need to look at manufacturer’s blueprints, but we must follow procedures that conform with current revisions of airplane service manuals, parts manuals and advisory circular 43.13-1B and -2B. Also, the TCDS will reference the approved engine and propeller for the airplane in question, as well as design criteria like control surface movement and deflection stops.  

If any major alterations or major repairs have been completed on the airplane, including newer radios or GPS equipment, or repairs to control surfaces, then those actions must be documented with an appropriate FAA Form 337, Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), and any necessary addendums or supplements to the operating handbook must be added to the airplane’s paperwork file. Side note, just because those forms were generated, it does not mean that they have been appropriately documented in the logbooks or approved by the FAA. It is a worthwhile endeavor to research the FAA database to assure that the forms have been filed and properly documented. Of course last but not least, the airplane must also conform to its minimum equipment list, if one has been approved, and the weight and balance log, which is also a great cross reference for any changes that may have taken place in the airplane.  

#3 – Condition 

Once the preceding paperwork has been checked along with any applicable ADs, and the airplane seems to comply and conform to the rules, it is time to move out to the airplane, put tools and eyeballs on the airplane and check its overall condition. This is the physical inspection phase of the airplane’s annual. Regulatory in nature, as guided by Part 43, the airplane must be inspected using a checklist by using techniques permissible by the administrator. Additionally, an inspection genuinely requires a developed sense of feel and visual cues that alert the individual performing the inspection of the overall health, quality and integrity of the airplane.  

Inspectors should use good lighting, flashlights, mirrors, a 10x magnifying glass, diagnostic equipment as well as tools specific to the airplane to looks for cracks, bends, stressed or fatigued parts, operation, and safety items like safety wire, cotter pins, locking nuts and torque. Broken up by groups, this is the most intensive preflight inspection your airplane will endure every year. This is also an opportunity to address preventive maintenance services like lubricating wheel bearings, pulleys and control mechanisms like cable tensions. 

#4 – Content 

At this point, you should have a clean airplane that has been properly assembled, adjusted within tolerances; magneto to engine timing, spark plug gaps, control surface deflections and tire pressures properly set. In fact, it looks like it is ready to fly, but there is one big step that must take place: There must be an endorsement in the appropriate logbooks for any work that was completed, and that all important statement and signature representing that your airplane has been inspected in accordance with an annual inspection, and if appropriate, a statement citing that the airplane has been found to be in airworthy condition.  

An airworthy endorsement during the annual is a great start for the content in your logbook. However, it truly is the content in the logbooks that make for a great story. There are many key players that help complete the story. Not only do you have an airframe, engine and propeller, but your airplane also has accessories like a carburetor or, governor, magnetos, and other components that may require attention like an entry for any ADs, SBs or maintenance performed. Further, these items may have service life limits which must be addressed. Instead of having multiple logbooks for each accessory and component on the airplane, a great way to capture all this data is by preparing a lead sheet. A lead sheet is like an executive summary or cliff notes to alert you to recurring ADs, next due items and life limited parts. (Contact us for details, if you would like to have a master lead sheet for your airplane).  

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There is a lot of care and planning that go into an airplane annual. As you can see, it should be so much more than just a quick check of the mags, and a stamp in the book. This is an opportunity to learn valuable data about the airplane, document it, and create a story that will add value and security to its overall life. There is often confusion as to what goes into an annual, and it is common that many owners do not see what happens behind closed hangar doors. However, now you can use the four Cs; compliance, conformity, condition and content to help you zero in on the quality and value of your airplane’s annual.  

Contact us to learn more about building the story on your airplane, and learn how you can increase the resale value by telling a better story.