Cody Dennison

Airworthiness Requirements
Objective:

The student will describe what an airworthiness certificate is where it is located and all of
the components that make it up. Along with this the student will be able to explain how to
differ maintenance with or without an MEL.

Elements/ Schedule:

Purpose
Airworthiness certificate
Required equipment
Deferring inoperative equipment
MEL
Maintenance inspection requirements
AD
Compliances and Records
Special flight permit
Total lesson

..1min
..5min
..10min
..10min
..10min
..5min
..5min
..5min
..10min
..60min

Equipment:

White board
Markers
FAR/AIM
Airworthiness certificate pic
MEL
PHAK CH8
FARS

Instructor Actions:

During this lesson the instructor is expected to cover the required materials on
airworthiness requirements. The lesson will cover required equipment, MELs, special
flight permits, AD, Compliance records, maintenance requirements etc. During this

lesson the instructor will answer all questions the student may have and give personal
examples to make the learning easier.

Purpose:

An airworthiness certificate is required for all aircraft for all flights it is very important to
know what makes an airworthiness certificate valid before you try to operate an aircraft.

Airworthiness certificate:

An airworthiness certificate is an FAA document which grants authorization to operate an

aircraft in flight.
They dont expire if all maintenance inspections are kept up to date and registration are
up to date.
Found in the aircraft usually behind one of the front seats.
Required to be accessible by anyone in the aircraft.

Required equipment:

Far 91.205
Day
1. Altimeter
2. Tachometer
3. Oil pressure gauge
4. Manifold pressure gauge
5. Airspeed indicator
6. Temp gauge engine
7. Oil temp gauge
8. Fuel level gauge
9. Landing gear position indicator
10. Attitude indicator
11. Magnetic compass
12. ELT
13. Seat belts
Night
1. Fuses
2. Landing light
3. Anti-collision lights
4. Position lights
5. Source of power

Differing inoperative equipment:

Far 91.213
Advisory circular for inoperative equipment without an MEL

Equipment being differed cannot be part of the following

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

VFR day type certificate

Aircraft equipment list
Kinds of Operations Equipment List
required by 14 CFR 91.205
AD

If the equipment being differed is not required by any of these it can be deactivated and
placarded.
Pilot makes final say in going on flight though

MEL:

Minimum equipment list, most non training aircraft will have a MEL. This is a list of all
the equipment on an aircraft that can essentially be inoperative and the aircraft is still
airworthy to fly.
Aircraft manufacture makes them or the owner can make one and get it approved by a
FSDO
If your aircraft has a MEL this is what you use to differ equipment if something has
failed.

Maintenance inspection requirements:

PHAK CH 8
AVIATEA
Annual inspection
VOR
100hr
Altimeter
Transponder
ELT
AD

AD:

Airworthiness Directives (ADs) are legally enforceable regulations issued by the FAA in
accordance with 14 CFR part 39 to correct an unsafe condition in a product. Part 39
defines a product as an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance.
Owner or operator is responsible for following ADs it is required to follow AD and keep
a record of compliance with them as well.

Compliance and appropriate Records

The person accomplishing the AD is required by FAR 43.9 to record AD compliance.

The entry must include those items specified in FAR 43.9 (a) (1) through (a) (4).

The owner or operator is required by FAR 91.405 to ensure that maintenance

personnel make appropriate entries and, by FAR 91.417, to maintain those records.

Owners and operators should note that there is a difference between the records
required to be kept by the owner under FAR 91.417 and those required to be made
by maintenance personnel by FAR 43.9. In either case, the owner or operator is
responsible for maintaining proper records.

All maintenance records are to be kept FAR 91.417

http://www.faa-aircraft-certification.com/airworthiness-directives.html

Special flight permit:

CFR 14 21.197

A special flight permit may be issued for an aircraft that may not currently meet
applicable airworthiness requirements, but is capable of safe flight, for the following
purposes:

Flying aircraft to a point for repairs, alterations, maintenance, or storage (for example,
ferrying an aircraft from point A to point B).

Delivering new aircraft to the base of a purchaser or to a storage point.

Conducting production flight tests.

Evacuating an aircraft from impending danger.

Conducting customer demonstration flights in new production aircraft that have passed or
completed production flight tests.

Excess weight operations.

How to get a special flight permit:

Fill out application and send into the FSDO for the region youre in.
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/phl/local_more/media/ferry_per
mit.pdf
This FAA document shows exactly step by step to getting a special flight permit.

Common Errors:

None

PTS Standards:

CFI

1. Required instruments and equipment for day/night VFR.

2. Procedures and limitations for determining airworthiness of the airplane with inoperative
instruments and equipment with and without a minimum equipment list (MEL).
3. Requirements and procedures for obtaining a special flight permit.
4. Airworthiness directives, compliance records, maintenance/ inspection requirements, and
appropriate records.
5. Procedures for deferring maintenance on aircraft without an approved MEL.

Private

1. Explaining
a. required instruments and equipment for day/night VFR.
b. procedures and limitations for determining airworthiness of the airplane with inoperative
instruments and equipment with and without an MEL.
c. requirements and procedures for obtaining a special flight permit.
FAA-S-8081-14B 32
2. Locating and explaining
a. airworthiness directives.
b. compliance records.
c. maintenance/inspection requirements.
d. appropriate record keeping.

Review:

Does the student have any other questions about anything we have covered so far today?

Student Actions:

During this lesson the student is expected to participate in the discussion with the
instructor by taking notes, asking questions, answering questions, looking up references
in the text and paying attention to the instructor. If the student has any uncertainties or
questions they will be expected to ask the instructor and clear up any confusions they
may have.

Completion Standards:

The lesson is complete when the student can describe to the instructor what an
airworthiness certificate is and what all the components are that we need to have to be
airworthy and how to differ inoperative equipment with and without an MEL.

Questions:

What is a MEL?
Can we still fly if there is inoperative equipment and how would we go about doing so?
What is an airworthiness certificate and does it ever expire?
Who can you call to get a special flight permit?
With a special flight permit can we fly anywhere we want to or does it have to be a
specific place?