According to the FAA, every airplane is required to undergo an annual inspection: “No person may operate an aircraft unless, within the preceding 12 calendar months, it has had an annual inspection and has been approved for return to service by a person authorized by FAR 43.7. A period of 12 calendar months extends from any day of a month to the last day of the same month the following year.                                                     To meet the above requirement every 12 months each aircraft owner is required to make inspect his airplane completely. The inspection accomplished must have at least the items of FAR 43 appendix D. Chapter 05 of the aircraft maintenance manual has the required inspection checklists that meet the annual inspection requirement. The annual inspection must be performed and released for return to service by one of the following:

1: An A&P Mechanic holding an Inspection Authorization (IA) (FAR 65.95).                                        2: A FAA Certificated Repair Station (FAR 43.3(e)).                                                                              3: The Manufacturer of the aircraft. (FAR 43.3(j)).

Aircraft Excepted from the Annual Inspection Scheme:

1) An aircraft operating under a Special Flight Permit, an experimental certificate, or a light sport or provisional airworthiness certificate.

2) An aircraft operating in accordance with an FAA approved inspection program under FAR 125 or 135 (Conmutter and On demand operators).

3) Turbine-powered rotorcraft when the operator elects to inspect that rotorcraft in accordance with one of the following: a progressive inspection program, a continuous airworthiness inspection program, a current inspection program recommended by the manufacturer, any other inspection program established by the registered owner or operator that was submitted to and later approved by the FAA.

4) Aircraft using a Progressive inspection program submitted by the registered owner or operator and approved by the FAA. This type of program must inspect the whole aircraft every 12 calendar months as well. The inspection in this case is divided in smaller areas or zones that must be performed at specified intervals (flight hours, days or cycles).

5) Large Airplanes: Turbojet multiengine airplanes, turbopropelled- powered multiengine airplanes, and turbine-powered rotorcraft:                                                                                                            Must use one of the following programs (91.409(f)):                                                                             A continuous airworthiness inspection program.                                                                                  (FAR 121: Airlines, Scheduled Air Carriers. FAR 135: Conmutter and On demand operators).             A Current Inspection Program recommended by the manufacturer.  Any other inspection program established by the registered owner or operator that was submitted to and later approved by the FAA.

Annual Inspections