# SAIB CE-03-52: Aging Small Airplanes

- Type: Special airworthiness information bulletin (advisory, not mandatory)
- Status: Current
- Revision: 0
- Issued: September 4, 2003
- Products: Best Practices Guide Aging General Aviation Airplanes
- Product type: Aircraft, Small Airplane
- PDF: https://openairdocs.org/files/sha256/82/3b/823b30070731454a7fae028db60a822fa76d7097547df3a6e6e06cfed5677697
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/FA911ED1087AB28D8625721F0052EBCE.0001
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-03-52

## Text

**SPECIAL**

**AIRWORTHINESS**

**INFORMATION**

**BULLETIN**

Aircraft Certification Service Washington, DC

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

No. CE-03-52 September 4, 2003 We post SAIBs on the internet at "av-info.faa.gov" This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.

Introduction This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) advises you, a registered owner of a small airplane manufactured prior to 1974, of a guide to help you maintain your aging airplane.

Background A team of experienced small airplane mechanics and engineers wrote the enclosed Best Practices Guide for Maintaining Aging General Aviation Airplanes. It provides tips for researching your airplane’s records and maintenance history and finding out about age related modifications that may be wise to make to your airplane. The guide includes a baseline checklist of items to inspect on an older airplane beyond those of an annual inspection. The guide also describes the role type clubs take regarding maintenance and inspection of aging airplanes.

Recommendation We recommend that you read the guide and find out as much as you can about the history of your airplane. It is a good idea to share the checklist with your mechanic to determine which items should be accomplished for your airplane. We recommend that you adjust the checklist to fit your airplane and situation. An editable version of the checklist is available at your local FDSO and at the FAA website:

www.faa.gov/certification/aircraft/aceagingchecklist.doc.

We also recommend you use the resources in the guide to contact the type club for your airplane model.

You will find that they are a valuable source of information.

For Further Information:

This guide and checklist are available at your local FSDO. They are also available at the these websites:

FAA: www.faa.gov/certification/aircraft/aceagingbestpractices.pdf www.faa.gov/certification/aircraft/aceagingchecklist.doc Antique Airplane Association (AAA): www.aaa-apm.org Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA): www.aopa.org Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA): www.eaa.org

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