Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Introduction

Schedule

Topic:

Time:

Attention/Motivator:

0:05

Part 1, Lesson Introduction:

0:05

Part 2, Airworthiness Overview:

0:15

Part 3, Airworthiness Documentation:

0:15

Part 4, Compliance:

0:15

Part 5, Preventive Maintenance:

0:15

Part 6, Airworthiness Risk Management:

0:20

Part 7, Airworthiness Guided Scenario(s):

0:20

Part 8, Lesson Conclusion:

0:05

Remotivation/Closure:

0:05

Total Ground Time:

0:00
Attention Getter:
- Research and present a mishap case study:
  - Airworthiness Case Studies.
  - Preventive Maintenance Case Studies.
- Discuss how the initial conditions developed into an incident/accident/mishap.
- Relate similar personal experiences of the same type of incident/accident/mishap.
- Consider incorporating a case study as a guided scenario.
Motivator:
- Federal Aviation Regulation 91.7 states, "No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition."
- To understand airworthiness requirements, we must define what it means to be airworthy.
- To determine airworthiness, the pilot must examine several documents and inspection records.
- The pilot must have certain documents that demonstrate they are legal to fly.
- Aircraft can be flown with inoperative equipment.

Materials

Required Materials:
- Writing instrument (pen, marker, etc.).
- Writing surface (paper, whiteboard, etc.).
- Airman Certification Standards.
- Student jacket.
Optional Materials:
- Pilot Operating Handbook.
- Electronic Flight Bag.
- Accessible (parked) aircraft for access to:
  - Airworthiness certificate.
  - Registration certificates.
  - Radio station license (if available).
  - Pilot Operating Handbook with Weight & Balance data.
- A&P with aircraft logbook.
- Internet connection (computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.).
  - Supplemental type certificate example.
  - Special flight permit example.
  - Airworthiness directive example.
  - Service bulletin example.
  - Minimum equipment list (if available).
  - Kinds of equipment list (if available).
- Instructor endorsement log.
Reference Materials:

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

Before the lesson, review reference materials.
Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
- Review the lesson plan, including the attention-getter and motivator.
- Review the airman certification standards.
Part 2, Airworthiness Overview:
- Define and discuss how to determine airworthiness.
- Review the roles and responsibilities of the owner and operator, assuming they are not the same individual or entity.
- Review the documents required for an aircraft to be considered airworthy.
  - Review airworthiness documents in the context of the acronym "ARROW" or "airworthiness certificate, registration certificate, radio station license, operating handbook, and weight and balance."
  - Contrast the responsibilities for maintaining airworthiness and determining airworthiness.
Part 3, Airworthiness Documentation:
- Discuss the registration certificate:
  - Review how registration applies to airworthiness requirements.
  - Review registration certificate eligibility, issuance, and validity.
  - Review the location and expiration of registration certificates.
  - Review what to do if missing, including how to replace and what qualifies as a replacement.
- Review airworthiness certificates:
  - Review special airworthiness certificates/special flight permits.
  - Review supplemental type certificates.
  - Review the location and expiration of airworthiness certificates.
- Review the Pilot Operating Handbook:
  - Review the difference between PIM and POH and AFM.
  - Review the location and expiration of POH.
  - Review the location of any flight manual supplements (i.e., avionics equipment).
- Review the radio station license:
  - Review operations that require a radio station license.
  - Review the location and expiration of a radio station license.
- Review weight and balance:
  - Review the location and expiration of an aircraft's weight and balance.
  - Discuss how the performance and limitations lesson plan will go into more depth.
Part 4, Compliance:
- Review Discuss required inspections:
  - ELT checks, Pitot-static checks, altimeter checks, NAVAID checks, etc.
- Discuss airworthiness directives.
- Discuss service bulletins and special airworthiness information bulletins.
- Review Special Flight Permit.
- Airplane Logbook Documentation.
- Review required equipment for both day & night VFR flight:
  - Review inoperative equipment considerations.
  - Review minimum equipment lists and kinds of equipment lists.
  - Discuss how the operation of aircraft systems lesson plan will go in more depth.
Part 5, Preventive Maintenance:
- Review preventive maintenance.
  - Define preventive maintenance.
  - Review preventive maintenance items.
  - Review who can perform preventive maintenance.
  - Review preventive maintenance procedures in the context of the acronym "MC-PLT," or "manuals, craftsmanship, parts, logged, and tools."
  - Review logging preventive maintenance.
  - Discuss considerations for flights following preventive maintenance.
Part 6, Airworthiness Risk Management:
- Introduce records as legal documents, discussing substantiating work and the dangers of making or receiving falsified aircraft records.
Part 7, Airworthiness Guided Scenario(s):
- Lead a guided scenario.
Part 8, Lesson Conclusion:
- Present the remotivation, conclude, and provide guidance for follow-on lessons.
- Review student actions required ahead of the next lesson.
Update instructor endorsement records and the student's jacket, as required.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

Discuss scenarios and solutions to inoperative equipment discovered before flight.
Discuss case studies.
While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes there is a flat tire.
- Who's responsibility is it to repair? Who can repair it?
While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes there is no oil.
- Who's responsibility is it to repair? Who can repair it?
While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes the EGT guage is inoperative.
- Who's responsibility is it to repair? Who can repair it?
- If it is not repaired, what steps must be taken before flight?
While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes the vertical speed indicator is inoperative.
- Who's responsibility is it to repair? Who can repair it?
- If it is not repaired, what steps must be taken before flight?
While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes the airworthiness certificate is missing, but they saw it the other day and have a picture from a previous lesson.
- Who's responsibility is it to replace?
- Can the pilot legally fly?
In conjunction with a preflight:
- Locate and review the documents required: airworthiness and registration certificate, radio station license (if applicable), operators manual, and weight and balance for accuracy and expiration.
  - Discuss the types of airworthiness certificates.
- Review an aircraft maintenance logbook with an A&P and discuss:
  - What the required inspections are and how they can be found/are logged in the aircraft logbook.
  - What Airworthiness Directives exist, how to find them, and how they've been complied with and logged.
  - What Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins exist, how to find them, and how they've been complied with and logged.
Still with an A&P, while conducting a preflight discuss provide examples of what maintenance requirements may be discovered and who must perform them.
Discuss inoperative equipment found during preflight:
- Do the items appear on a minimum equipment list? (if applicable).
  - If not applicable, use an example.
- Do the items appear on a kinds of equipment list? (if applicable).
  - If not applicable, use an example.
- What are the items required for VFR operations?
- In any case, how must these items be placarded when found?
Discuss if a discrepancy was noted on the ground, but could not be fixed, how a special airworthiness certificate could be obtained?
Provide a scenario where the pilot has determined the aircraft is airworthy, but various items start to fail.
- At what point must the aircraft be legally terminated? (VFR required equipment/unairworthy).
- What are other considerations to an aircraft that has multiple pieces of equipment fail together or on the same flight?
Related scenarios:
- Preflight Assessment.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Complete the assigned readings (see content above).
Ask pertinent questions.
Perform self-assessment, including fitness for flight and personal minimums, as appropriate.
Make a go/no-go decision, as appropriate.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Airman Certification Standards

Objective: To determine whether the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with airworthiness requirements, including airplane certificates.
References: 14 CFR parts 39, 43, 91; FAA-H-8083-2 (Risk Management Handbook), FAA-H-8083-3 (Airplane Flying Handbook), FAA-H-8083-25 (Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge).

Knowledge 4 ACS Elements

CA.I.B.K1:
General airworthiness requirements and compliance for airplanes, including:
- PA.I.B.K1a: Location and expiration of required aircraft certificates [airworthiness, registration, radio station license, operating handbook, and weight & balance].
- CA.I.B.K1b: Required inspections and airplane logbook documentation.
- CA.I.B.K1c: Airworthiness Directives and Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins.
- CA.I.B.K1d: Purpose and procedure for obtaining a special flight permit.
CA.I.B.K2:
Pilot-performed preventive maintenance.
CA.I.B.K3:
Equipment requirements for day and night VFR flight, including:
- CA.I.B.K3a: Flying with Inoperative equipment.
- CA.I.B.K3b: Using an approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL).
- CA.I.B.K3c: Kinds of Operation Equipment List (KOEL).
- CA.I.B.K3d: Required discrepancy records or placards.
CA.I.B.K4:
Special airworthiness certificate aircraft operating limitations, if applicable.

Risk Management 1 ACS Element

CA.I.B.R1:
Inoperative equipment discovered prior to flight.

Skills 3 ACS Elements

CA.I.B.S1:
Locate and describe airplane airworthiness and registration information.
CA.I.B.S2:
Determine the airplane is airworthy in the scenario given by the evaluator.
CA.I.B.S3:
Apply appropriate procedures for operating with inoperative equipment in the scenario given by the evaluator.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Conclusion

Re-Motivation:
- Airworthiness Requirements reinforces that safe flight begins with an aircraft that is properly documented, inspected, maintained, and determined to be airworthy.
- Understanding the responsibilities of manufacturers, mechanics, owners, and the pilot in command helps pilots recognize discrepancies and make defensible no-go decisions.
- Careful records review, systematic inspections, and disciplined use of regulations and aircraft limitations make airworthiness an active safety practice on every flight.
- Continued study of Airworthiness Requirements prepares commercial pilots to evaluate more complex maintenance, equipment, and operational questions with confidence.
Closure:
- Advise students that this lesson will be used as a starting point for the next lesson.
- Assign study materials for the next lesson.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Introduction

Schedule

Attention Getter:

Motivator:

Materials

Required Materials:

Optional Materials:

Reference Materials:

Instructor Actions

Guided Scenario(s)

Student Actions

Airman Certification Standards

Conclusion

Re-Motivation:

Closure: