The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a United States national authority in charge of regulating all aspects of civil aviation, including airport operations and the protection of the nation's assets during the launch or reentry of commercial space vehicles (United States Federal Aviation Administration, n.d). The organization, which was founded in 1958, fulfills a variety of functions. It governs commercial space transportation in the United States, as well as the geometric and flying inspection criteria for air navigation facilities, as well as the issuance, suspension, or revocation of pilot licences. It is in charge of civil aviation safety regulation as well as the development of air traffic control and navigation technologies. The organizations under the FAA are referred to as Lines of Business (LOB). Each LOB has a different role in the functioning of the FAA. The four LOB divisions are:
Airports(ARP)
Aviation Safety(AVS)
Air Traffic Organization (ATO)
Commercial Space Transportation (AST) (United States Federal Aviation Administration, n.d).
The Aircraft Repair Stations
Certification
An aircraft repair station has to obtain a legal certificate from the FAA. A formal application has to be submitted which enables the repair station to get a certificate which is effective from "the date of issue until the repair station surrenders the certificate and the FAA accepts it" (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Part 145) (Office of the Federal Register (US), n.d). This certificate has to be displayed in the repair station for public inspection. Along with the certification, repair stations have to maintain a capability list that lists the operations they perform.
Privileges and Limitations
Part 145 of the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations puts forth a number of bullets corresponding to the privileges and limitations of a certificated repair station. It states that the repair station may perform maintenance, preventive maintenance or alterations on articles for which it is rated (Office of the Federal Register (US), n.d). However, if an article for which the station is NOT rated is to be repaired, the station must arrange for rated personnel. Also, a station has to record all the procedures followed in black and white and must save the documents until two years.
Maintenance
It is required for a certified repair station that performs maintenance to "follow the air carrier's or commercial operator's program and applicable sections of its maintenance" (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Part 145) (Office of the Federal Register (US), n.d). The FAA does allow certified repair stations to perform line maintenance (unscheduled maintenance due to unforeseen events or scheduled checks) for air carriers certificated under part 121 of the chapter in correspondence (foreign or otherwise).
A certified repair station must, under all circumstances, maintain quality standards if they wish to be associated with the FAA. They must follow the quality control manual. It is necessary for a certified air station to inspect the articles upon which it has performed maintenances, preventive maintenance, or alterations. The repair station must certify that the article they are releasing is airworthy.
It is stated in the e-CFR Chapter 1, subpart G, Part 125 that no certificate holder is allowed to operate an airplane on which maintenance or alterations have been made, unless the person performing the maintenance or alterations have prepared an airworthiness release, and has made an entry in the aircraft maintenance records (Legal Information Institute, n.d).
Equipments and data requirements
A repair station must, at all times, have the equipment, tools and materials necessary to perform maintenance or alterations on an article. The equipment and tools must meet the FAA standards and must be recommended by their manufacturers (FAA, 2016). It should also maintain, in formats acceptable by the FAA, data corresponding to:
Airworthiness directives
Instructions for continued airworthiness
Maintenance manuals
Overhaul Manuals
Standard Practice Manuals
Inspection
An aircraft repair station is inspected by the FAA on a regular basis to determine its quality standards (Government Publishing Office, 1997). The FAA disallows the presence of a noncertified person at the workstations, unless mentioned in the contract, in which case the FAA observes the work of the noncertified person closely. If the noncertified person does not follow the FAA regulations, a certificated repair station is not to service the articles worked upon by the FAA.
In conclusion, keeping in view the above lines of maintenance, a certificated repair station must take strict measures to ensure its airworthiness and quality service.
References
FAA. (2016). Section 9 Safety Assurance System: Inspect a Part 145 Repair Station's Tools and Equipment. FSIMS. Retrieved from http://fsims.faa.gov/wdocs/8900.1/v06%20surveillance/chapter%2009/s_06_009_009.htm
Government Printing Office. (n.d). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, Aeronautics and Space, PT. 110-199. Government Printing Office.
Government Publishing Office. (1997). Aviation Safety: FAA Oversight of Repair Stations Needs Improvement. (Chapter Report, 10/24/97, GAO/RCED-98-21). Retrieved from https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-21/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-21.htm
Legal Information Institute. (n.d). 14 CFR 125.411 - Airworthiness release or maintenance record entry. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/125.411
U.S Government Publishing Office. (n.d). Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved from https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse
United States Federal Aviation Administration. (n.d). Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved from https://www.revolvy.com/topic/United%20States%20Federal%20Aviation%20Administration&item_type=topic
