Rules and Inspections: Basic and Advanced Light Plane Maintenance, 1987

Document Type: Book (Informational) Purpose: Informational. Authority: Author Expertise. Series: Light Plane Maintenance Library

Scope: General knowledge book written for General Aviation pilots, owners and mechanics. Written by the Editors of Light Airplane Maintenance magazine.

From the dust jacket: "The fact that pilots are legally entitled to perform at least some forms of mechanical work is made clear by FAR 43.3(h), which states: "The holder of a pilot certificate issued under Part 61 may perform preventive maintenance on any aircraft owned or operated by him that is not used in air carrier service."

The implications of this are worth pondering for a moment. FAR 43.3 (h) renders every pilot in the U.S. a potential practitioner of preventive maintenance. Another way of looking at this is that there are some more than 700,000 licensed aircraft mechanics in the U.S. today. If you're a pilot, you're included.

The big question, of course, is: What constitutes "preventive maintenance"? This volume will tell you. And preventive maintenance is just the beginning of the work you can do. If a pilot is working under the supervision of a mechanic, he or she can do nearly anything, including engine overhauls.

With Rules & Inspections you'll learn what the supervision rules are, what standards apply, what are the subtleties of parts specifications, substitutions, and proper mechanic sign-off.

In Section Two of this volume, you'll get to know aircraft hardware. Plus, you'll learn safetying techniques, thread repair, and what goes into the "ideal" preventive maintenance tool kit.

In the final section we look at inspections—from acceptance and pre-purchase checks to that most dreaded inspection, the annual. By and large, with the right strategies, by selecting the right shop, and with the right timing, you can cut the cost of an annual dramatically."

Contents (from the Table of Contents): "Part I: LEGALITIES Chapter 1: Pilot-Performed Maintenance — A Regulatory Overview

Chapter 2: Supervision and Standards - Work/Supervision Guidelines - Aircraft Parts: Which Are Legal?

Part II: BASIC NUTS AND BOLTS Chapter 3: The Pilot's Tool Kit

Chapter 4: Getting to Know Aircraft Hardware - AN, NAS, and MS Bolts AN Nuts and Washers Nut/Bolt Torque - Safetying Techniques - Handling Major Thread Repairs

Part III: INSPECTIONS Chapter 5: Acceptance and Pre-Purchase Checks - The Acceptance Examination - Your Own Pre-Purchase Inspection

Chapter 6: Annual Inspections - The Nature of the Annual Strategies for Selection - The Pre-Annual Inspection The Post-Annual Lifesaver

Chapter 7: Rigging and Other - Critical Examinations - The Post-Inactivity Inspection - Rigging: What Every Pilot Should Know - Examining Pulleys and Cables - Control-Cable Rigging - Checking Trim Tab Free-Play

Appendix: Control System Troubleshooting"