![[Credit: Adobe Stock]](https://planeandpilot.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/09/AdobeStock_1509938423.jpg?width=2000&height=1333)
During my U.S. Air Force days, one of the most important relationships I had was the one between the flight crews and the very young airmen and sergeants who maintained our airplanes.
We relied on these young professionals for our safety in flight, and along the way they taught us volumes about the airplanes we flew. The same is true on the civilian side.
My understanding wife/co-owner and I have experienced 40 annual inspections—on five different airplanes. These include several coast-to-coast jaunts as well as the obligatory pilgrimages to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in late July. Good, solid maintenance has made these trips safe and remarkably trouble free.
Our annual maintenance inspection rituals have been generally excellent, a few more interesting and expensive than others, and all were educational. They have included owner-assisted annuals, small local shops, and the occasional large maintenance operation.
We moved at least 15 times while all this transpired, so every few years we went shopping for a new maintenance shop, at a new airport, in a new city or town. One thing is for sure: We learned a thing or two along the way.
So, I thought I might share a few tidbits learned on the journey. My first stop was with my friends at Four Star Aero at the Flagler Executive Airport (KFIN) in Arizona. Josh and Keith have maintained our Cardinal for the last five years, and they go above and beyond. They maintain our plane as though it is their own.
The annual inspection process is a two-way street between the shop and owner, so in addition to my thoughts on the matter, I asked these fine gentlemen their thoughts on how to complete a successful annual inspection, with few surprises, and fewer tears and aggravation.
Maintain Your Airplane Year-Round
The annual inspection is just that. It is an inspection, conducted on an annual basis, to determine the airworthiness of the airplane, and its compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
Most shops post the flat-rate price of the “inspection” as well as the “shop rate” for additional repairs. The cost of the inspection is the entry fee. For those of us lucky enough to fly 30-or 40-year-old airframes, there are always going to be little wear-and-tear items that increase the cost and time required for the inspection. Stripped screws, worn-out Dzus fasteners, torn cowling bushings, or worse all add up and most are hard to predict before the airplane is pulled apart.
However, that is quite a different scenario compared to the airplane owner who brings the airplane into the annual with an intermittent alternator, stumbling engine, or another malady that should have been addressed earlier.
Airliners have multiple redundant systems and utilize a minimum equipment list (MEL) that allows them to fly with some level of failed systems. But most of the general aviation fleet has just one of everything, with only an occasional backup. Nursing a rough engine, popped circuit breaker, or worse until the annual might actually turn out to be more expensive and certainly increase the risk of in-flight failures. Develop a Relationship We have established a strong relationship with our friends Keith and Josh. That first inspection took a bit longer as they got to know the airplane, and each inspection since has benefited from their familiarity with our airplane and our professional relationship. I rely on these talented folks for the safety of my family, and they take that responsibility seriously. I trust them in the same way I trusted our Air Force crew chiefs many years ago.
They keep tabs on the Cardinal throughout the year, and their familiarity with the airplane and its missions helps us keep it in pristine condition. Kind of like the doctor-patient relationship, only punctuated by the smell of avgas and solvent, rather than disinfectant.
Location, Location, Location
We have had annual inspections that were completed in a single week, many in two weeks, and some as long as three weeks. However, when dealing with a 49-year-old, out-of- production, single-engine airplane, there is always the potential for it to be grounded for a significantly longer period.
Then the question is: Do I want the airplane to sit outside in the elements 500 to 1,000 miles away from home while we search for long out of production parts? ‘
Having said this, there are several regional repair shops out there that cater to specific aircraft types. While these may be a couple of hundred miles away, their familiarity with the specific aircraft type, ready parts supply, and technician experience can produce an excellent inspection.
The worst case is the poor soul who goes on a two-week business trip and schedules the annual at the destination, only to end up going home with their airplane up on jacks awaiting an unobtainable part. For my part, the best choice is often closer to home.
How Can We Help the Shop?
I posed this question to my local maintenance aces, and their responses were pretty practical.
First, clean the exterior and interior of the airplane before bringing it into the shop. It is easier to inspect a clean airplane than to try to dig through the dirt looking for corrosion, cracks, and other issues.
Phew, I did well on this one. I get out the creeper and remove the oil off the belly, then clean the exterior the week before the inspection. This also gives me a chance to look over the entire airframe for signs of broken plastic, corrosion, missing fasteners, or visible cracks.
Second, remove all your personal items. Your shop does not want to be responsible for your gear. Its job is to inspect the airplane, not to wrangle your headsets, tablets, tie-downs, and wheel chocks and have them sitting on your airplane seats over in the corner of the hangar.
Third, have your airframe, engine, and propeller logs and other pertinent maintenance and AD records available and organized. I keep ours in a portable file case, organized by subject, and it seems to pass the test.
Fourth, they stress the need to repair your maintenance squawks as they come up during the year so that the annual inspection is more predictable, and the cost and schedule remain fairly constant.
Finally, and most importantly, most airworthiness items are fairly cut and dried. A reputable shop like Four Star is more than willing to explain each nonairworthy item it uncovers and discuss repair options with you.
Airplane repairs are not cheap, but cool heads, and a discussion of the available options, goes a long way toward finding a workable solution.
Owner Assisted, Owner Engaged, or Pesky Owner
Over the years we have completed a couple of “owner-assisted annuals.” For my part, I followed the instructions of the inspector and generally limited my participation to opening and closing inspection panels, removing cowlings and fairings, changing the oil and filter, cleaning and gapping spark plugs, and generally any tasks allowed by the FARs for owner pilots.
While this process saved a few dollars, I believe the real benefit was learning about my airplane— how it worked and what condition it was in. This is a real benefit, and I highly recommend that if you can find a participating maintenance professional, this is a great option.
On the other hand, most of our annuals have been fully completed by the shop, and during these I attempted to be engaged, while not being a pest.
The key is to do your research, find a reputable maintenance shop, get a realistic estimate of both cost and schedule, and then check in from time to time to see if anything has popped up that might need a decision.
For example, do you want to buy a new or rebuilt accessory or instrument, replace old interior pieces that are falling apart, or other minor things that come to light and involve optional expenses?
But remember scheduling the annual immediately before a long trip, and visiting the shop each day to hurry things along, is at best bad planning. And worse, arguing with the inspector over airworthiness decisions or other required maintenance issues that come up during the annual can be downright pesky.
If there is a problem, you have the right to ask the shop to button up the airplane, identify the issues it did not repair, and go elsewhere, without a completed annual inspection. However, my experience tells me that doing your homework before you settle on a maintenance shop is the best way to avoid expensive surprises, hard feelings, or worse.
Conduct a Thorough Postmaintenance Test Flight
Back in those Air Force days, after an airplane had experienced major maintenance, a functional check flight (FCF) was scheduled. The pilot was given a description of the work completed, an FCF checklist, and conducted a thorough preflight, FCF profile, and postflight.
An annual inspection is major maintenance. Yesterday, your airplane was in pieces all over the shop floor, and today you are going to fly it. I have seen some folks immediately after the annual inspection load up the family and fly off into the sunset.
For my part, I conduct my own FCF flight. I fly solo, or occasionally with the maintenance technician if we want to review a certain item, conduct a scrupulous preflight, then fly a relatively short 30-minute flight, in case an oil or fuel leak develops, near the airport while I wring out all of the systems.
After the flight, I conduct a thorough postflight inspection looking for leaks, missing fasteners, or any other anomalies. Over the years I have discovered missed items in all three phases of the flight, so it is good insurance.
Maximize Your Investment
Let’s face it, investing in good maintenance improves flight safety, increases your plane’s resale value, and makes us more confident pilots. I have been lucky enough to have developed a positive relationship with a number of uniformly outstanding maintenance folks over several decades of ownership.
The key remains to do your research and pick a good shop. Get to know your maintenance professionals and listen and learn from them. Keep your airplane in pristine condition all year- round, not just once a year. And work with your shop to achieve a successful and cost effective annual airworthiness inspection.
Fly safe!
