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Read the POH – This is a very brief article from Flying Magazine and hopefully underscores the importance of being familiar with the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) for any airplane that you fly.
FAA Airworthiness Directives (ADs) – As pilot in command, you will be responsible for ensuring that the aircraft that you fly is in an airworthy state. That means that the owner or operator of the aircraft is responsible for complying with any relevant ADs. This website lists all current ADs. The maintenance log of the aircraft should indicate that they were resolved.
Airworthiness Flow Chart (PDF) – This flowchart will help you determine the airworthiness of an aircraft. Use it any time you are flying in an airplane that you haven’t flown before.
Ferry Permits – If you have an EAA membership, the April 2014 edition of Sport Aviation has an article titled Ferry Permits. The article is filled with useful information about ferry permits: what they are, how to obtain one, and the limitations of its use.
What to do with Inoperative (Inop) Equipment? – There’s a flow to determining whether or not you can fly with inoperative equipment, and then what you have to do if you decide to do so.
- FAA required – is the equipment listed in §91.205? If so, you can’t fly
- Manufacturer required – is the equipment listed in the Type Certification Data Sheet (TCDS)? If so, you can’t fly
- Pilot required – do you feel comfortable flying without the equipment? As PIC, you make the decision at this point if the equipment isn’t required by the FAA or the manufacturer
- Use the flow chart (below) to determine what to do if you decide to fly with the inoperative equipment.