![]() ![]() It’s likely wheel fairings and wheels were removed and reinstalled and brake components detached and reattached. Normal procedures call for shutting off the fuel valves, opening retractable landing gear circuit breakers, removing and replacing seats and, of course, inspection panels are removed and replaced. Reviewing Appendix D will give you a place to start learning what was disassembled and re-assembled, what was turned off and what may have been removed to gain access. A condition inspection for experimental amateur-built aircraft will most likely be conducted in the same scope and detail as an annual on a type certificated aircraft. Since we want to focus on the items inspected, we can start with FAR 43 Appendix D, which provides the minimum requirements. Presuming no new equipment is installed and the inspection doesn’t reveal specific maintenance is needed, it’s the most common reason a pilot needs to take some extra care during the preflight. The annual inspection is the most intrusive “maintenance” a personal airplane regularly sees. Something as simple as adding air to a tire isn’t likely to cause a problem, but complex work-and work on several systems at a time-creates too many opportunities for mischief for us to ignore. The extent to which an airplane coming out of maintenance will have an issue is proportional to the complexity of the work performed. That’s because aircraft just out of maintenance are more likely to have safety-of-flight issues than an aircraft in good condition flown on a daily basis. The place to start is determining what kind of maintenance has been performed, and you do that by reviewing the aircraft maintenance records. ![]() ![]() If that’s the case, a more detailed preflight inspection is warranted. One of those times, however, is after maintenance has been performed. In fact, you rarely can go wrong with the manufacturer’s preflight checklist. What does a component’s normal condition look like, and what typically goes wrong with it? If your maintenance technician isn’t available to ask, consult the airplane’s POH, and don’t forget to look in the supplement section. Since it’s up to you to determine if something isn’t right, you probably should at least know a few things to look for. As a pilot, you have the responsibility to accept the aircraft as-is and be on your merry way or reject it as unsuitable if something isn’t right. When discussing preflight inspections, I sometimes hear pilots remark, “I don’t know what I am looking for.” That’s unfortunate, because the pilot is the final authority regarding the aircraft’s airworthiness. ![]()
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