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January 15, 2016
Aircraft Maintenance Records…
Today, I talk about 7 tips for organizing your airplane’s paperwork and maintenance records.
- Generate a concise, but complete, AD compliance record.
- Compute all applicable times for aircraft, engine(s), and prop(s).
- Organize maintenance records (logbooks) and separate the current ones from the old ones.
- Locate and organize all 337 forms.
- Go through the 337’s and make a list of the associated ICA’s (Instructions for continued airworthiness.) Keep this information available at annual inspection time.
- Organize all 8130’s and parts tags.
- Designate a location for miscellaneous items.
PLEASE… leave me a comment at the bottom of this page. Tell me what you would like to hear in future podcast episodes. Or, ask a question you would like answered.
Thank you!
Thank you Dean for sharing your insights into airplane ownership and maintenance. I am currently a student pilot in north Texas enjoying 65deg days and 10sm visibility.
I would very much appreciate a training video on organizing maintenance paperwork. Another video/blog that would be helpful to airplane owners would be reading and interpreting AD’s and SB’s.
Here are some topics you might consider for future episodes:
1) what is prop maintenance /overhaul (fixed and CS)?
2) talk about upgrading a prop (two blade to three blade)
3) speed mods (flap gap seals, wing root fairings, etc.)
4) speed brakes, VG’s, and other goodies
5) what’s the highest time you’ve seen on a working engine?
6) what is TBO? Must I replace my engine at or before TBO?
7) explain a typical pre-buy inspection and what advice you provide to your client.
8) catch up maintenance horror stories
Thank you for putting together such an interesting and unique podcast for the aviation community to benefit from.
Best Regards,
Ashley
Thank you Ashley, for your comments and ideas. Sounds like north Texas is a good place to live right now! I really appreciate your thoughts, and will consider your ideas for some future episodes.
Good Morning Dean,
I’m a relatively new private pilot and now going thru the steep learning curve of maintaining an aircraft. I own an old piper clipper (PA-16) and thus far have had the prop overhauled, a new voltage regulator installed, two exhaust collectors (one cracked in half during flight), one 12 volt battery, and one refurbished starter.
I have two questions, one related to all of this maintenance. I have very detailed records of all the maintenance done thus far and intend on keeping it this way. My question pertains to ALL 337’s issued for ALL PA-16’s. I understand or thought I heard you mention that you can get ALL of them from the FAA. If so I’ve been trying to find information on the FAA website but no luck. How do I get my hands on the 337’s? This is important because my aircraft has very few options when it comes to manufactures who have gotten PMA’s for replacement parts. And I’m thinking if I have the records I can find parts the FAA has already blessed off on.
Part two is what documentation do I need to go along with an overhauled or refurbished part (e.g. I just purchased a refurbished starter). Is there a certification for this which comes with the part or is it not needed?
Ok, one last question which may be covered in an episode I haven’t listened to yet. Low static RPM. If everything seems to be great (compression, spark plugs look great, oil pressure is great, etc) what then may cause less than optimal RPM, say 150 RPM below the required static RPM? Just wondering if you’ve had to troubleshoot something like this before?
Thanks for your show and I’m learning so much. You may see me one day flying the old Clipper up from Richmond, VA.
Thanks
Dave.
Hi Dave! Great to hear from you and meet you. First, I would recommend you listen to episode 030 and see if this helps. That’s where I talked about getting a CD of the FAA maintenance record file for your specific aircraft, which would include all the 337 forms that have been filed for it over the years. It’s totally worth the small fee (maybe $10.) Secondly, if your starter was overhauled, it should have an 8130 form with it, to document proper certification. If the starter was just “repaired” but not “overhauled,” it may not have this kind of paperwork. And finally, I’m not an expert on static RPM, but I found this article from the EAA website that might be helpful. http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-communities-and-interests/homebuilt-aircraft-and-homebuilt-aircraft-kits/resources-for-while-youre-building/building-articles/propellers-and-spinners/the-fixed-pitch-propeller-dilemma If you scroll down, there is some pretty good information on static RPM. And Dave, by all means if you ever make it over to SHD, let me know… I’d love to meet you and see your airplane!