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Progressive Inspection Procedures Manual

Steve Pierce

BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
Has anyone put their Super Cub or other light aircraft on a progressive inspection program? I spoke with my FSDO yesterday and am doing my homework for writing the inspection schedule and procedures manual. Plan on dividing the PA18 inspection report into sections so I can do different parts on a Sunday and not have my airplane down. Since this is new to me thought someone might have some insight. Thanks.
 
Thanks Mike, I have Pipers Inspection Report and use it and find it covers all the particulars or puts your eyes right there. I have to write the procedures manual to submit the inspection schedule and thought if someone had done one previously it might save me some headaches.
 
In the late 1970's, I worked for a flight school that had some of their Cherokees and Tomahawks on a progressive inspection program. Maybe if an inspection form can be found for those, the format can be adapted for a PA-18.

It used a Piper supplied inspection form.

Bob
 
The flight school program divided the airplane into 4 sections to be inspected/serviced every 50 hours and the 4 phases completed in 12 months. If I remember correctly, two of those included the engine; one heavy on the engine , one just a 2nd oil change and minor engine. And all 4 included airframe sections.
I think two included wheels tires, brakes.

That is going from memory of work done 40 years ago.

Bob
 
The quite a while, I've been doing my annuals with my IA in my own hangar.
The past few years, it's worked out that I need an oil change 2 or 3 weeks before the annual is due.
I have him come down and we do the firewall-forward inspection while I have the cowl off.
Then at the end of the month, we do the rest of the airframe.
Works out well for both of us-- it's easier for him to get away from the shop for a half day,
and I don't have as much to put back together.
It also gives me time to address any FWF squawks that may have come up.
 
I'd be interested in comparing notes on this, Steve. Feel free to contact me anytime.

Have you done this with a PA18? I haven't as of yet but the way my work schedule/hangar space in the maintenance hangar goes I need to so as to make working on my own airplane easier.
 
Have you done this with a PA18? I haven't as of yet but the way my work schedule/hangar space in the maintenance hangar goes I need to so as to make working on my own airplane easier.
Why don't you just do one wing on one Saturday, the other wing next Saturday, the fuselage the next Saturday and the engine the last Saturday? The annual sign off is the date the inspection is completed not when it is started. Make your life simple, don't complicate if with another agreement with the FAA.
 
Why don't you just do one wing on one Saturday, the other wing next Saturday, the fuselage the next Saturday and the engine the last Saturday? The annual sign off is the date the inspection is completed not when it is started. Make your life simple, don't complicate if with another agreement with the FAA.
Hard to get room in the work hangar and usually work Saturdays and fly Sunday morning. I gotta take it when I can get it as far as room in the hangar goes. Working in the storage hangar is the pits, use to having everything at my fingertips.
 
steve did you end up completing putting your aircraft on a progressive inspection program?
exploring ideas to reduce maintenance downtime and came across this post.
 
Has anyone put their Super Cub or other light aircraft on a progressive inspection program? I spoke with my FSDO yesterday and am doing my homework for writing the inspection schedule and procedures manual. Plan on dividing the PA18 inspection report into sections so I can do different parts on a Sunday and not have my airplane down. Since this is new to me thought someone might have some insight. Thanks.

Don't you do that now ?
If you change brake linings, grease wheels, etc. in September do you take it all apart for the annual you do in October? Common sense says No.....what say the FAA?
 
I have not, it is on my To Do List. ;)

I know that feeling when the tasks pile up.
From the previous posts sounded like you were going to use the piper inspection sheets?
Is your plan to do four phase with 50 hours each? or were you going to break it down further to 25 hour intervals?

Im just a the fledgling stage of figuring out if it is worth pursuing myself.
 
In my opinion setting up a progressive inspection procedure for our Cubs and other similar sized airplanes would be an increase in workload and scheduling for the owner and mechanic. Remember an Annual inspection is just an inspection. Any work which needs doing is outside of the inspection. If an owner keeps up maintenance on his airplane with perhaps a thorough inspection of various components periodically over the year, and making any repairs as they present themselves, when it comes time for the annual very little down time will be required. If you do set up the progressive then you will be on multiple inspections over the year, on a mandatory scheduled basis. Progressive inspections are intended to make life easier for an operator who is working his airplanes a lot. In that case a wing could be inspected one night, fly the airplane during the day, do the other wing the next night etc. This would eliminate lengthy downtimes.

An owner/IA can do his own Progressive without being committed to an FAA approved mandatory schedule.
 
Unless you are flying more than about 200 hours a year a Progressive really doesn’t make sense for a single engine airplane. You would likely be taking things apart more than just doing an annual.


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I figured I would do a few tasks at each oil change rather than the whole airplane at once. I do it 6 days a week for others and wanted to keep it to small tasks at a time on my own.
 
I figured I would do a few tasks at each oil change rather than the whole airplane at once. I do it 6 days a week for others and wanted to keep it to small tasks at a time on my own.
You don't need an official FAA progressive inspection to do that.
 
I know, it was also a test and a way for my Dad to not have to do as much outside work to keep his IA. he has since discovered the online refresher courses aren't so bad. At 86 he is kinda tired of crawling around other peoples airplanes.
 
I know, it was also a test and a way for my Dad to not have to do as much outside work to keep his IA. he has since discovered the online refresher courses aren't so bad. At 86 he is kinda tired of crawling around other peoples airplanes.

Definitely was looking at the benefits, split between keeping the airplane operational with shorter inspections periods and only having to worry about doing my one progressive per year for renewal. I guess the online refresher is always an option just hate having to sit behind the computer more than I have too.
 
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