by Dave Weiman
There is no professional in aviation I admire more than the aircraft technician. I am amazed each time I do an owner-assist annual inspection as to how much they know, and how skilled they are. So much, I am literally willing to put my life in their hands.
Yet, as aircraft owners, we are ultimately responsible for the maintenance of our aircraft. That covers all of the mandatory inspections and maintenance to maintain airworthiness. The problem is, how many of us know all of the regs? Answer: Very few.
So we either go to A&P school and review technical bulletins and airworthiness directives (ADs), or we establish a “partnership” with our aircraft technician, which can benefit both of us.
Such a partnership begins with “trust.” We have to depend on our aircraft technician to tell us what needs to be done now, and what should be done in the future. A must do list, needs to be in writing as a reminder to both of us, so we complete the tasks when due.
For instance, the biennial instrument check is due next month, or the ELT battery needs to be replaced this year at annual, or the magnetos need to be inspected in another 50 hours, possibly before the next annual. Without such lists, we are risking life and limb, needlessly.