Part 43 Series — What Really Happens During an Annual? Appendix D Explained
Every year, your airplane disappears into the maintenance hangar for its annual inspection.
A few days (or weeks) later, you get the call.
Sometimes it’s:
“Everything looks great.”
Other times it’s:
“We need to talk…”
But what exactly is the mechanic required to inspect during that annual? Is it just a quick once-over? A glorified oil change? Or something far more detailed?
The answer lives in FAR Part 43, Appendix D — the section that defines the scope and detail of items included in annual and 100-hour inspections.
If you fly a small aircraft under a standard airworthiness certificate, Appendix D directly affects you. It determines:
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What must be inspected
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How thorough that inspection must be
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Why certain discrepancies ground the airplane
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What you’re really paying for during an annual
In this fourth article of our five-part Part 43 series, we’ll break down Appendix D in plain language — so you understand what’s happening under those cowling panels.
Let’s open the inspection checklist.
