Annual Inspections

Annual inspections are natural part of aircraft ownership. Some of us dread it, some of us look forward to it. FAR Part 43.13 Appendix D spells out the guidelines aircraft inspectors will use to guide them along the process. The FAA rules give a lot of leeway on how the inspector conducts that inspection; therefore, you will get a wide variety of philosophies on how an inspection should be completed. At Roger Wilco Aviation Services we believe in conducting the most thorough inspection possible, aided by the manufacturers guidelines. As the inspection progresses our inspector will form a list of discrepancies. Those discrepancies will be identified as Airworthy Issue (AWI), or non-airworthy. The AWI discrepancies need to be addressed to return the aircraft to airworthiness status, whereas the non-airworthy discrepancies are not urgent enough where they need to be addressed immediately, but eventually. The cost of an annual inspection will be quoted to the customer as a flat-rate and the customer will review and approve any estimates presented.

The annual inspection generally includes overall engine and airframe inspection to include all of Appendix D. Any estimate will include labor cost and parts cost. That estimate is our “best prediction” on how much it could cost. Sometimes cost overruns happen but rest assured if that is the case, we will be contacting the customer for further review and approval. As per company policy, we contact the customer if we believe we will exceed one hour of labor per discrepancy. Additionally, airworthiness directives and service bulletins will be reviewed in the aircraft logbooks in detail. The cost of the annual inspection provides one hour of review. Sometimes it can take several hours of reviewing depending on the organization of the aircraft logbooks and how well previous inspectors detailed their work. As with discrepancies, this will be communicated to the customer.

Our goal at Roger Wilco Aviation Services is to provide you with the safest aircraft possible. But we believe that safety should not break your bank. Communication is imperative to a good inspector/customer relationship, and we are proud of this philosophy. We look forward to serving you and your aircraft!

Rotax Repair Center

Rotax has been a staple in the experimental and VLS aircraft industry for many years. Recently, with the emergence of the Rotax 916 iS capable of producing 160 hp, Rotax has become a player in the certified aircraft market.

Roger Wilco Aviation Services recognizes Rotax as a valuable asset to the aviation industry in providing an alternative to the legacy Lycoming and Continental engine options. As Rotax evolves that role will expand and become even more important. We have committed our company resources to providing you with professionally certified Rotax technicians. Contact us today to discuss your options on having a trusted source for your maintenance needs.