Educational Courses

Overview

Aircraft maintenance records, often referred to as logbooks, contain the complete maintenance history of an aircraft. Their purpose is to document that the aircraft meets its approved type design and is in a condition for safe operation. They both back-up and support the Airworthiness requirement the aircraft needs to be able to fly, and document the aircraft’s maintenance activities over its lifetime.

Logbooks have a tremendous impact on an aircraft’s value because they contain important information about the history of the aircraft.

You would think that today’s high-tech, sophisticated aircraft would have high-tech, sophisticated records knowing that the maintenance history of an aircraft is almost as important and valuable as the aircraft itself.

But when looking at even a modern aircraft’s record, we find a common trend: aircraft logbooks are typically unorganized, frequently inaccurate, and regularly lack critical information vital to the aircraft’s airworthiness or value.

Objective

The objective of this course is to better understand aircraft records and recordkeeping; their purpose; the consequences of improper recordkeeping for aircraft owners; what happens when the data in the record is insufficient, or one or more records are missing from the logbook; or even when critical information is lost altogether or not recorded properly to begin with.

The course goes into an in-depth study of what is important to keep in the aircraft logbook. What should be in the logbook as opposed to being part of the permanent maintenance record; where in the logbook the information should be kept; and how to properly organize and administer information contained in both the aircraft’s logbooks and the permanent aircraft record.

 Applicability

This course will benefit A&P Technicians and Students, Repair Station Technicians, Repairmen, and anyone needing a better understanding of aircraft records or are contemplating working with aircraft records in the future.

Course Instructor

Larry D. Hinebaugh Author

Larry has over 40 years of aircraft maintenance and maintenance management experience having obtained his A&P License in 1976; coupled with a BS degree in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering in 1981. Larry has founded, and currently operates both Vision Aircraft Records, a for-profit company dedicated to making Electronic Recordkeeping a reality in our industry; and The Foundation for Business Aircraft Records Excellence, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower Aircraft Maintenance Professionals to improve Business Aircraft Records and Recordkeeping Practices. Prior to starting Business Aircraft Records, Larry managed Aviation Consulting Group, an international maintenance consulting company specializing in Aircraft Completion Management, Maintenance Operations, and Aircraft Technical Appraisals.