Page 14 - Volume 17 Number 4

verified adequate, deice/anti-ice equipment confirmed functional, and mooring gear removed and stowed. For executive travel, cabin provisioning is important and, for extended trips, spares and tools should be on board.But, Is It Legal?The preceding represents the pilot’s idea of what airworthiness means. In addition to that, we should address the regulatory necessities, which may have little to do with the airplane’s ability to perform, but which must nevertheless be monitored for compliance. In the event of a loss, insurance coverage may be compromised if you can’t prove that the aircraft was fully airworthy, on paper as well as functionally. Assuredly, the airplane’s certificate of airworthiness must be aboard; it may only be a bit of paper, but it’s the first thing an inspector will want to see, along with the registration.Operating limitations are normally required as part of the kit, usually in the form of an Approved Flight Manual. Weight and balance data must be available to the crew, as well as the approved Minimum Equipment List in case there’s a need to determine legal authority to dispatch. If no AMEL exists, each item required by certification or operation must be working.An inoperative item of aircraft equipment casts a shadow of airworthiness doubt over the flight. Despite all indications of fitness for flight and your willingness to accept the aircraft with a darkened light bulb, the AMEL must be consulted to see if it’s legal to depart. Deviation from the “everything must be working” rule can only be made under the provisions of an AMEL option. Exactly how many bulbs, out of an array, are allowed to be out of commission? The AMEL determines airworthiness whensomething is not functional but isn’t flight critical.Are The Bulletins Up To Date?Aircraft aren’t necessarily airworthy just because they’re exactly as they were when they left the factory. Very often, something is found to be flawed as a result of service experience, and a mandated replacement or enhancement is required by regulatory action. A certain amount of time, or hours of use, may be permitted before the terms of the service bulletin or directive must be met; in serious cases, however, immediate compliance is mandatory. Recurrent actions must frequently be taken, such as inspecting a part at 100-hour or 12-month intervals. Life-limited parts have to be tracked for eventual removal, to be replaced even if still functional.Something as simple as low tire pressure can constitute a safety hazard. One of the findings in the12 • TWIN & TURBINEAPRIL 2013