Mandatory Aircraft Maintenance & Inspections
All aircraft must undergo mandatory periodic maintenance and inspections every 50 hours, 100 hours, or annually (the frequency depends upon the type of use for each aircraft).
Annual Inspections
Unlike an automobile that drives in and out of an inspection bay in as little as five minutes, an aircraft is put through an annual inspection that can take days to complete.
The aircraft is literally taken apart during these exhaustive inspections so that every component can be inspected and tested. Worn components are replaced, tweaks and adjustments to settings are made, and improvements or updates are applied. In many cases, lubricating fluids are analyzed by a laboratory while other fluids replace them. Only when the inspection is complete and all necessary repairs are finished is it recertified for return to flight by a designated examiner from the Federal Aviation Administration. Complete records are entered into the aircraft's logbooks.
Mandatory Testing & Certification of Parts & Consumables
All materials, consumables, and parts used to make, repair, and operate aircraft are tested and certified by the FAA, which is one of the reasons that you might hear pilots talking about the high cost of flying. Maintaining such a high safety standard is expensive, but pilots accept those costs knowing the alternative.
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