What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Condition Inspection Checklists

Thank you

Thank you Sam, you are a good man. If I can dig up the memo... I believe the retract test and engine number two listing refers to the RV-15 (wink...) It's the standard Annual Checklist that I use for every single annual or condition inspection. The only things not listed, to the best of my knowledge, are the fuel injectors.
Best
Brian Wallis
 
Nice

I received the pre-sticky email version from Jack yesterday. The format is very similar to the standard Annual Inspection Checklist my A&P used on my old Piper Tri-Pacer. As mentioned, this one is written in MS Word so it's easily customized for each airplane/owner/A&P.
Thanks again, Jack.

Steve
 
checklist content?

Hi, sorry, not intending to hijack....but these checklists are great, for an experienced guy.
For the less experienced, yes you should have an AME ( A&P) assist.
But what I'd like to know is;
if I fly 10, 25 or 50 hours a year, when should I be changing hoses, alternator belts, etc. which may simply get 'old' before they are visibly worn out?

Does this info exist anywhere, guidelines, recommendations etc? I don't want to spend $1000 on an annual replacing every nut & bolt, but I do want to be safe for the upcoming year!

thx
 
Perry,
Don't sell yourself short on being able to inspect your own plane.
Get an A&P with actual experience (not just a kid with a fresh rating).
He needs to be willing to teach you, or you're wasting your money and time.
Some items like hoses and belts wear out due to condition as well as age, but both are inspectable. Heat embrittlement and oxidation are easily noticed, just like wear.
It's best to have manufacturing dates and installation dates for soft parts like hoses, tires, motor mounts, SCAT tube etc so you don't end up with 20 year old fuel hoses close to the exhaust pipe, but lacking that, you can still get good life cycle cost control by using judgement, and some help from your friends in the RV community.
The idea is to get your money's worth out of each part, but not to run it into a dangerous condition.
Of course, if you are owning a show plane, then all bets are off, just throw money at it :rolleyes:
The check list brings each component to your attention, that's the important part. Once you know what to look at, it's not too hard to figure out if it needs work or is good to go another year.
 
Last edited:
Condition Inspection Overkill?

Reviving this old thread, it has occurred to me that some of the things I am checking on my Lancair condition inspection have become overkill. This is my sixth condition inspection and a lot of the things I have been checking are starting to seem like a waste of time. I've been checking and lubricating just about every nut, bolt, B-nut, rod end, jamb nut, and hose on the entire airframe, as well as the usual firewall forward stuff.

For the first few years, this seemed prudent because I found a lot of things had loosened up. Just about every B-nut and many structural bolts needed re-torquing. It may be the nature of a fiberglass airplane that when a bolt is tightened on a fiberglass/phenolic hard point, it will compress (creep?) over time. But this time around I'm not seeing any loose bolts or B-nuts and I'm wondering if I'm not being too anal by taking ~30 days to inspect (I'm old and tired).

The condition inspection I've been using since day one is 12 pages long, and probably too detailed. I have read several of the checklists posted above, and those seem more realistic. So is it "legal" to change to an abbreviated inspection checklist or not?
 
It is legal to build your own checklist using Part 43, Appendix D as your “Scope and Detail” - you have to do everything listed there (although there is a lot of room for interpretation....), and anything else you’d like to add. Make it fit your airplane.

Paul
 
Here's a couple examples of what I use

Here a couple of the checklists I use. I have one for most RV models.
The front page gives the general information and I use the picture to identify any exterior scratches, dings, etc before I even start. Of course the SBs get updated every year as necessary and I occasionally add items as I come across things not on the list.
 

Attachments

  • RV-3 Condition Inspection (011021).pdf
    223.3 KB · Views: 562
  • RV-8 Condition Inspection 011121).pdf
    277.6 KB · Views: 711
No, I haven't worked on a 10 or 14 yet so I haven't made one. However, I can send you the Word doc for the RV7 checklist and you can probably modify it pretty easily to fit the RV14.
 
Last edited:
No, I haven't worked on a 10 or 14 yet so I haven't made one. However, I can send you the Word doc for the RV7 checklist and you can probably modify it pretty easily to fit the RV14.

I would appreciate a copy. jetmart at hotmail.ca
 
Assuming all the work is completed before the end of the 12 calendar month inspection period is it legal to do something along the lines of a progressive condition inspection?

For example - today I remove fairings and wheel pants, inspect, reinstall and fly the plane. Tomorrow I remove the interior, inspect, reinstall and fly the plane. At the end of a week or so, the entire inspection is complete and I do the required paperwork.

Since I am the “inspector” and do the logbook entry, I realize I can do pretty much anything, but legally can I perform the inspection in this manner?

If this answer is no, please provide a reference to the applicable FAR and/or AC that spells this out.

Thanks much!

Pretty sure there is no requirement for the timing and use of flights in between inspection phases during inspection, as long as the inspection is done with log book entries BEFORE the expiration of the previous CI if you want to fly it. If you have exceeded that limit on the last CI, you are not eligible to fly it until the new CI is complete and documented. I believe that this applies to test flights as well, but not certain. I believe any flight outside of the CI expiration would require FSDO approval.

Larry
 
Last edited:
Assuming all the work is completed before the end of the 12 calendar month inspection period is it legal to do something along the lines of a progressive condition inspection?

For example - today I remove fairings and wheel pants, inspect, reinstall and fly the plane. Tomorrow I remove the interior, inspect, reinstall and fly the plane. At the end of a week or so, the entire inspection is complete and I do the required paperwork.

Since I am the “inspector” and do the logbook entry, I realize I can do pretty much anything, but legally can I perform the inspection in this manner?

If this answer is no, please provide a reference to the applicable FAR and/or AC that spells this out.

Thanks much!
Based on my operating limitations (you should verify that yours are the same) it specifies who can do the condition inspection and the scope of the condition inspection.

... it has had a condition inspection performed per the scope and detail of part 43, appendix D, manufacture or other FAA-Approved programs ... Appendix D is the only part of 43 that applies. As long as the condition inspection meets that scope you are good to go. There is not anything in Appendix D that says how long or in what sequence the inspection should be done. Completing the inspection as you describe meets the requirements, and that is how I am going to complete my condition inspection.
 
Back
Top