Advice

Hotsauce · Joined: Dec 17, 2003 Posts: 5 Location: USA

Hey All,

I'm new to the field of "civilian" aviation, I've spent the last 17 years in Army aviation, mainly fixing helos.
I'm still in in the military, but I've started doing side work at a local FBO. I've learned real quickly about the differences between military and civilian aviation maintenance, not necessarily in the wrench turning aspect, but in the documentation of maintenance. I did my first annual on a Piper Warrior, but the guy I work for seems to have his way of doing his paperwork, I haven't signed anything yet, that was a week ago. My purpose for posting to this forum is to seek some advice from you guys who have been in the civilian market for awhile and feel my pain. Also to glean anything that will be helpful for a military maintenance guy transitioning into the civilian aviation, recommended reading would be helpful.

planefixr_1 · Joined: Apr 07, 2004 Posts: 4 Location: Prescott, AZ. USA

Are you a certified A&P yet? If not, you won't sign anything (especially Annuals - that requires an A&P with Inspection Authorization - IA) until then. You're working under your supervisor's certificate (A&P and/or IA) and I'll be he/she has to inspect your work before they sign-off the work, right?

(I don't intend this to be cruel or critical, so if it comes off that way, I apologize - I'm former military, too)
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Mike Belanger
A&P #2684974

Aviator · Joined: Nov 05, 2002 Posts: 37 Location: USA

In addition to what planefixr wrote, If you are doing the work, and doing the sign offs, then the aircraft owner really has no say in how you do your paperwork. All sign offs are pretty much your responsibility, and if the craft that your maintaining augers in, it will be you that the NTSB is going to hang if it's a maintenance issue that caused the crash and your name is on the sign off.
Good luck, and as for recommended reading, DRY as it may be, I recommend the applicable FAR's.

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Never let the 9 year old inside of you die!

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