Flight Training - August 2024 - 16

PREFLIGHT AFTER THE CHECKRIDE
BY EMMA QUEDZUWEIT
DEEP DIVE
ANNUAL INSPECTIONS AS AN OWNER-PILOT
BEING A FIRST-TIME OWNER OF AN
airplane comes with its challenges but
is ultimately a rewarding experience. If
the option is available, joining a shared
ownership of an aircraft or being part of a
flying club is a great choice for a first-time
owner, as it takes much of the mystery out
of the process and offers an opportunity
to learn from other owners, making things
less overwhelming. Whatever the situation,
your airplane's annual inspection is a
great learning opportunity for you.
As an owner, one of the most important
things you can do is to learn as much
as possible about the airplane you own, its
parts, and how they all work together. Getting
hands-on in preparing for the annual
will benefit both you and your airplane.
You can save money and your IA's time
by working with him or her to remove
things like access panels, cowling, carpet,
fairings, (and the many, many screws
holding all this together which then need
to be organized for replacement later);
give the airplane and engine a good clean16
FLIGHT
TRAINING AUGUST 2024
ing; and remove all equipment that is not
part of the airplane, such as GPS or camera
mounts, loose charts and flashlights,
or that empty water bottle or baseball cap.
This is also the perfect time to give the airplane
a good look over for signs of leaks,
unusual marks, wear and tear, or anything
that looks out of place, and mention any
findings to the IA up front. If you're new
to this stage of the process as well, you can
ask a friend with experience for their help
or offer to assist someone who is preparing
for their own annual.
In addition to this basic prep, pilots
are allowed to do some preventive
maintenance tasks on their own, such as
greasing wheel bearings, or changing oil
and spark plugs. Regulations are clear
that although pilots can perform these
preventive maintenance items concurrent
with or in preparation for the annual
inspection, they cannot help with any
part of an annual inspection itself. The
important difference between maintaining
and inspecting means that it is technically
not " owner-assisted annual " but " owner-assisted
maintenance during and/or
preliminary and incidental to the annual. "
Asking an A&P or another owner if
you can shadow them as they do preventative
maintentance tasks is the best way to
build these skills to prepare for your own
annual. Trying your hand at small tasks
under their supervision will have you better
equipped, and if your IA is comfortale
with you shadowing the annual, you can
learn even more about your airplane's guts.
Annual inspections don't have to
be a thing of mystery. Use this time to
get acquainted with your airplane, ask
questions, and observe how all the parts
fit together and integrate functionally.
Getting involved in maintenance and
preparation for your aircraft's annual will
gain you more knowledge about how your
airplane works, which will give you more
confidence as a pilot and make you better
prepared for real-world flying.
emma.quedzuweit@aopa.org
MIKE FIZER
Flight Training - August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - August 2024
