June 22, 2024 Event will be held at EAA 175 Chapter Educational Center (CEC) at VDF.
The topic for this event is on" Experimental AB,ELSA vs SLSA, Documentation"
Experimental AB, ELSA vs SLSA, Documentation
By
Bud Yerly
Custom Flight Creations
- We maintain aircraft out of safety.
- Inspections are only as good as the knowledge of the inspector.
- Good Inspectors have a checklist, manuals and directives.
- Good inspectors research and document their work.
- Great inspectors check their work and many have another set of eyes look over the inspection also.
There are three rules of aircraft documentation:
If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen (includes if it is unreadable in the logbook it didn’t get done).
If it isn’t done by the book it didn’t happen (includes modifications and changes by an owner without backup reasons, and documentation of the cause, effect and final testing.)
Logbooks mean money. It can increase the value by as much as 30%-50%. (The aircraft value is directly proportional to the accuracy of the logbook repair, identifies what happened, the repair required and operational test of the outcome.)
Physical Logbooks:
All the maintenance, upgrades, service, may be kept in any format, but the logbook is most common. It can be one book, or separate airframe, engine, propeller, and avionics logbooks.
It is best to have an actual book, but most mechanics and owners simply print out a sticker or glue in a page (hopefully cut neatly and pasted on the book page) legible and nicely printed out.
It is prudent to also keep a computer laptop, or PDA/iPad with file copies retained separately with the more detailed information, photos etc.
It is also a good idea to also keep FAA registration, Phase 1and2 documentation, all systems manuals, build manual, on a computer/PDA for ease of access during maintenance. This is also excellent for a prebuy inspection.)
Major Repairs and Alterations to Experimental ELSA/SLSA owners must contain.
Must have what was damaged
When and hours at completion.
What was repaired and replaced with what
By what authority or documentation
And by who.
The repairman’s certificate number.
A proper addition to any repair would be to:
List repair parts and materials.
Photos of work performed of the repair procedure. As a video or photos are worth a thousand words.
What shouldn’t go in the logbook.
What about maintenance and servicing, how do you know what must be checked?
Most Experimental, ELSA and or SLSA do not have thorough maintenance documentation from the factory, nor is time change, mean time between failure documentation or information printed or available for their particular aircraft.
EAB aircraft often have no airworthiness/condition inspection checklist available from the builder or kit builder.
Even the factory built SLSA aircraft maintenance and inspection documentation is vague or not existent.
Digging through the FARs Some common myths busted.
Part 39 does not apply to EAB or LSA so ADs are not technically required. But Safety Directives are binding.
In 91.417 (a) (2) it states that the current status of applicable airworthiness directives (AD) and safety directives including, the method of compliance, with number and revision date. Is to be documented with “the time, and date when the next action is required”.
So, SBs or Mods:
It may be a one time or recurring check or action at a specific number of hours, cycles, or time.
Service Bulletins, Alert Service Bulletins, Mandatory Safety Alert, sometimes called Mandatory Modifications or Mandatory Service Bulletins, are required entries in a logbook.
Log the number, time, by whom etc. Parts required, as required by the directive.
For each owner/operator and mechanic one should have a log (mine are on the computer and printed out with the annual inspection, of:
Every SB, ASB, Mod, that is applicable, which have been complied with, if not done why (perhaps the builder did it before the SB or Mod came out), and who did it.
If it is due at a specific time in the future it is listed also and highlighted.
Annual Condition Inspections (ACI):
The ACI is done annually, and it is also a 100 Hr inspection. If flying longer than 100 hours in one year, then a 100 hour inspection is repeated normally. So, sign off the ACI again also.
Technically the 100 Hr inspection is for commercial operators but it is prudent for the homebuilder also.
Experimental and all E/SLSA are technically not built to the FAA standard and are not “Airworthy”. Certified aircraft are not only done IAW Appendix D of Part 43 but also are done IAW the manufacturers checklist. So, the Annual documentation statement can’t say Airworthy. Since EAB/E/S-LSA aircraft are not “Certified Aircraft” they have a condition inspection and are technically meet the opinion of the inspector as “in a condition for safe operation.”
If you built the experimental aircraft, you are the manufacturer. Perhaps you may have built a kit aircraft, the kit manufacturer may have a checklist for an Annual Condition Inspection ACI but many don’t. So as the manufacturer you are responsible for the inspection, what is inspected, what the limitations are, what the time constraints are for part replacement.
Same is true for engines, there may be a dedicated maintenance inspection checklist. This must be followed and annotated (along with SBs etc.) as part of the ACI.
Engines have Tach Time, Hobbs Time, and some have EMS time (Electronic Maintenance System time).
Tach Time is dependent on the Tach and how it logs. Some tachs log above a certain RPM or oil pressure
Hobbs Time is different. Some are set up to log when the master is on. So countless hours get logged while doing maintenance (especially on avionics) with the engine off.
EMS Time can be a combination of any of these above.
What is important is your engine manufacturers requirement. Rotax says anytime the engine is running (idle to full power) it is engine time.
Where do you keep the log books:
Do you carry the log books in the aircraft. Generally, no. But if the plane crashes and burns the insurance company won’t have a leg to stand on to disallow payment if you do.
An Example of how to keep your Logbook writeups and in my posses ion:
What should I have on hand in my electronic log:
Registration:
A copy of the FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate,
A copy of the Limitation aka your phase one and phase two limitations issued by the FAA
Maintenance:
Your last Annual Condition Inspection checklist.
Airframe Kit Mfgs documentation.
Engine Mfgs documentation on the installation, service, maintenance and operation.
Propeller Mfgs documentation same as above
Inspection of the ELT IAW the Mfgs checklist and FAR Part 34.
Avionics documentation of the Transponder (every 2 year to fly in the airspace system)
ADS-B information I also keep.
All Factory Mods, SBs and Service bulletins provided by the manufacturers for each component.
Builder modifications:
Reference Materials:Electrical component documentation and aircraft wiring diagrams.
Original Flight Test Data
Weight and Balance.
Insurance in place.
Try to avoid annual writeups such as “All service bulletins complied with” as these should be specifically identified and specific to each SB. So it is best to make a spreadsheet which has more information in the logbook or “see computer documentation”.
Operational Checklists:
Pilot Operational Checklist:
Most kit manufacturers do not supply a checklist. I highly recommend builders make their own POH for their particular aircraft
Functional Flight Checklist:
After maintenance an owner operator must be satisfied the plane is operating IAW the factory data (if provided) or as per its original flight phase two conditions.
So, let’s look at some examples of inspection documents:
Here are pictures of the event with members and guests.
