Preparing Your Aircraft for an Airworthiness Review
This weeks article is aimed at the GA and corporate market, aircraft under 5700 kg and not used for commercial air transport, it is based on what I see as an Airworthiness Review Signatory. It has become increasingly noticeable, that owners and operators of aircraft are not fully complying with applicable airworthiness requirements, through the incorrect carriage of original documentation and/or the use of inappropriate aircraft registration marks.
So what should you be carrying in the way of documents and what should your registration markings look like?
Documents first, there are a number documents required to be carried in the aircraft at all times, these must be original documents, replacements can always be obtained, they are:
- Certificate of Registration
- Certificate of Airworthiness
- Airworthiness Review Certificate
- Noise Certificate
- Radio Licence – in the name of the current owner/operator
- Certificate of Insurance
They should be carried in a fire-proof bag.
Travelling overseas you can be asked for these documents. Additionally, it should be noted that when travelling outside UK airspace all pilots must have a copy of the “notified procedures to be followed by pilot-in-command of an intercepted aircraft and the notified visual signals for use by intercepting and intercepted aircraft”. These can be found at http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=4&Itemid=11.html.
Or any good pilots guide, particularly embarrassing if you have a radio failure and don’t understand the pilot of the fighter assigned to investigate!
Registration markings, perhaps one of the more controversial areas; you have just had the great paint job done and then there is the registration! CAP 523 is clear, registration markings must easily read from all angles and must be at least 30 cm in size; where it is impractical or where the marking is less than 30cm in height an additional marking must be included under the belly, and should be 50cm in size. I have seen/heard of owners who remove the additional marking after the ARC is issued, two things to bear in mind:
- It will be replaced the following year and you will be billed for the man-hours and the decals;
- Your aircraft no longer complies with the requirements of the ANO as defined by CAP 523.
By arriving at the maintenance provider with the required document and the registration markings correct will make life so much easier for you and the Airworthiness Review Signatory. As always your comments greatly appreciated!
