Gray Matter
Aviation Mechanics Most Frequently Asked Questions
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The grey area of aviation where no clear guidelines or precdent exists, or where the CFRs has not been applied in a long time thus making it unclear if it is applicable at all. However, there isn’t any such thing in aircraft maintenance as gray, no matter what you have heard. My new book is the perfect shop reference guide for any aviation mechanic just starting out or the seasoned professional that needs to know where the reference is to keep current. Gray Matter provides useful skills and step-by-step instructions including: IA Test Instructions, Airworthiness Chart, Definitions, Forms, Publications, IA Functions, Tort Action, Continued Airworthiness, Implied warranty, Contracts, Liability, Aircraft Records, Approved Data, Equivalent Tooling, Part Replacement, Deferred Maintenance, Field Approvals, Questions & Answers.is an area One area that is discussed in great detailed is what does active engaged mean: Actively engaged requires that a person be participating, occupied, or employed in inspecting, overhauling, repairing, preserving, or employed in inspecting, overhauling, repairing, preserving, or replacing parts on certificated aircraft. Teaching methods or techniques would not by itself meet the requirements of the regulation. What does all this mean and how does the FAA inspector interpret it? This along with many other questions are explained with the proper reference. FAA Clarifies “Actively Engaged” for IAs In a notice of policy dated Aug. 04, 2011, the FAA has clarified the term “actively engaged” with regards to those applying for and renewing an inspection authorization (IA). Current regulations state (among other requirements) that an IA must be actively engaged in maintaining aircraft for a two-year period before obtaining or renewing an IA. The new policy notice addresses the confusion caused by the term “actively engaged” and has broadened its application to cover IAs providing maintenance in rural areas, and those offering specialized expertise with rare or vintage aircraft. The definition also recognizes part-time employment and occasional activity, which does not require employment and may occur on an infrequent basis, valuing the substantive nature of experience rather than a strict quantity formula. However, for someone who only participated in maintenance activities on a part-time or occasional basis, regardless of employment status, the FAA proposed that an aviation safety inspector (ASI) “would use documentation or other evidence provided by the applicant detailing the maintenance activity to determine whether the type of maintenance activity performed, considering any special expertise required, and the quantity of maintenance activity demonstrated the applicant was actively engaged.” In order to renew an IA under CFR 65.93(a), an applicant will need to present evidence to the ASI to demonstrate that he or she still meets the four requirements of CFR 65.91(c), and according to the FAA, refresher training alone does not satisfy those requirements. Thus, applicant’s will need to demonstrate that they are “actively engaged” in some way other than by simply attending refresher training.
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About the Book
To be completely frank about it, I’m increasingly aware that there are as many gray areas in aviation as there are black-and-white ones, and I’m beginning to feel as if I know less and less about what I do. I’m a trained and reasonably experienced A&P mechanic, and I’m supposed to know this airplane stuff, but my experiences are often contradictory to what I know are theoretical facts. It’s frustrating, and sometimes I think I knew more back when I knew less. Or at least I thought I did. To keep an aircraft in peak operating condition, aircraft mechanics and service technicians perform scheduled maintenance to make repairs and complete inspections required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Many aircraft mechanics specialize in preventive maintenance. They inspect engines, landing gear, instruments, pressurized sections, accessories—brakes, valves, pumps, and air-conditioning systems, for example—and other parts of the aircraft and do the necessary maintenance and replacement of parts. Inspections take place following a schedule based on the number of hours the aircraft has flown, calendar days, cycles of operation, or a combination of these factors. To examine an engine, aircraft mechanics work through specially designed openings while standing on ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from the craft. After taking an engine apart, mechanics use precision instruments to measure parts for wear and use x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment to check for invisible cracks. Worn or defective parts are repaired or replaced. They may also repair sheet metal or composite surfaces, measure the tension of control cables, and check for corrosion, distortion, and cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail. After completing all repairs, mechanics must test the equipment to ensure that it works properly.
About the Author
Why I am uniquely qualified to write this book. I have thirty-six years of technical hands-on and theoretical work experience. My writings are the sum of my own experiences added to my abilities, but from the inside looking out. I have attended a part 147 aviation maintenance school to learn the basics of aviation and theory. Upon graduation from Sacrament City College, aviation department, I had no aviation hands-on work experience; however, I had a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate to learn. I spent many years owning my own fixed-base operation (FBO), working as a civil servant on military aircraft and gaining practical hands-on work experience before joining the FAA Oakland Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) to learn the legal concepts of aviation in-depth. During my sixth year with the Oakland FSDO, I won the National Flight Standards 2004 Field Inspector of the Year award for technical excellence, professionalism, and dedication to the enhancement of aviation safety. My career with FAA was all about aviation safety, where I used my FAA knowledge and work experiences to mentor other aviation aircraft mechanics and pilots. By working with mechanics and pilots, I was able to gain their trust as a regulator and, more importantly, as a knowledgeable friend who could answer their many questions. Working closely with the public won me the aircraft Maintenance Knuckle Buster Award in March 2002. As an FAA inspector, I expended great effort in the home/amateur built arena. In another technical contribution, I developed and made available step-by-step checklists outlining the procedures from inspection through certification. I again expended the scope of organizational impact when I wrote an article that was published in Kit Planes magazine, following the flight test guidelines contained in AC-90-89. The article highlighted accident rates among experimental aircraft during the first forty hours of flight test. As a result, I have been inundated with requests from all over the world for copies of the flight test program. I have provided copies of the article and the program to airmen worldwide, thus having a global impact on aviation safety. After thirty-six years of government civil servant time, I retired from the Oakland Flight Standard District Office in California and relocated to Yamagata, Japan, to retire. I continue being active in aviation with my writing and assisting FAA mechanics and pilots. I currently hold an Airframe and Powerplant, Inspection Authorization, and Senior Parachute Rigger certificates with the FAA.