What kind of Maintenance Can I do On My Aircraft ?**
PART 43--MAINTENANCE, PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, REBUILDING, AND ALTERATION
Ok, these sites are not from the FAA directly and are possibly not up to date but they may serve to highlight the confused areas.
Part 43 very clearly states how ALL maintenance is to be carried out and documented. There is no exception for 'Pilot' maintenance.
It is a clause within the Part that lists a variety of 'preventative maintenance' tasks the pilot may be able to c/o and certify.
Be it a A&P, his grandmother or a private pilot, the requirements are all exactly the same.
Although the following examples of preventive maintenance authorized by FAR Part 43 can be done by a certificated pilot under the conditions listed in the FAR, each individual planning on doing such work should make a self-analysis as to whether or not he or she has the ability to perform the work satisfactorily and safely. If any of the preventive maintenance authorized by FAR Part 43 is done, the person doing the work must make an entry in the appropriate logbook or record system to document the work done.
The actual regs are more difficult to digest and often you cannot just read one paragraph in isolation.
As mentioned in the post above there are various requirements.
Part 21 is very much applicable obviously. We are talking about the supply and fitting of replacement parts here. This has the potential to be a major hurdle if the purchaser has little appreciation of the requirements.
We are obviously going to need some form of release documentation and some acceptable data for the conformity requirements there.
We then need the current publications to actually complete the task and do the Release to Service.
Now that is the US version, it is perhaps the most documented and with the widest range of info available on the 'net.
I asked about the NZ and Aussie versions for a reason.
In every country I work in I have always seen the local regs have provision for similar work. Invariably the requirements are the same as indeed are the issues.
Many owners purchase and produce parts they expect to get fitted to their aircraft. Nope, doesn't happen. A large percentage don't make the grade.
Often it something as basic as not reading the IPC, or the notes, correctly.
Sometimes a SB or SL has the real data on the requirements and instructions.
More often it is due to a complete lack of awareness, and understanding, of Part 21.
We then get the competency to do the job. Has the person the training and ability to do the task proficiently, and safely, and then do the paperwork correctly. Remember this is usually an unsupervised effort.
The NZ regs have a few twists and turns in them when it comes to Pilot maintenance.
Anyone care to have a crack at it ?
As an aside I have even seen a Student Pilot trot out his version of how he can do 'Pilot Maintenance'.
It is very clearly a misunderstood area in the regs, - either that or the guys are bending the rules to suit themselves.