Whilst a great deal in the matter of safety devolves upon the skill of the pilot much is still linked with the airworthiness of the aircraft in which he flies. With General Aviation types of aircraft it is almost invariable that the pilot is responsible for carrying out his own pre-flight inspection. Also, under the present legislation there is a wide range of aircraft upon which the pilot or owner is permitted to perform a variety of maintenance tasks. This book has been written to explain in simple terms what inspection and preventative maintenance are all about, and to provide an illustrated guide to help in carrying out those tasks. In 1975 the Private Aviation Committee resolved to approach the Civil Aviation Authority with a request for an 'in depth' review of the philosophy and implementation of light aircraft certification and maintenance. Consequently a committee was set up with consultations ranging nationally and internationally in an effort to distil the accumulated wisdom of the aviation community. The Committee first proposed a scheme in 1975 which was then refined to take account of the many useful comments from inside and outside the Authority. An interim scheme commenced in June 1977 with the introduction of the new tog booksand extensions to the finite lives for piston engines. It is expected that the full scheme will be introduced in 1978 and will involve changes to certification categories, maintenance schedules and airworthiness procedures. Proposals have been made with regard to a new maintenance schedule which would be a successor to the General Purpose Maintenance Schedule. The proposals include provision of two levels of maintenance; one for the Public Transport aircraft and one for the Private aircraft However, at the time of writing, the proposals have not received formal acceptance and therefore could be the subject of variation before introduction of the new scheme in its finished form. In writing this book such aspects of the new scheme as are known have been held in view and the general information presented in the text should be an asset to owners and pilots of light aircraft operating under any scheme. However the value is not limited to the private pilot or owner and it is hoped that many a professional pilot operating light aircraft will find material in this volume that will assist him in identifying defects before they take on serious proportions. In either case it is obviously necessary to know how to inspect or what is, and is not, acceptable. If this book goes even part of the way to achieving this aim then the writing will not have been in vain. To be useful in a practical way is the aim of this book. It is intended to be a well thumbed reference; it will contribute little to safety through airworthiness if it is allowed to gather dust on a bookshelf. However it should be borne in mind that it is a general guide and is by no means exhaustive in content. Likewise the information given will need to be applied to a specific aircraft in terms of the instructions and information contained in the manufacturer's manuals. Time spent studying such manuals and in getting to know your aircraft will be well rewarded. In some cases the manufacturer specifies a certain procedure for what appears to be a simple job. ALWAYS FOLLOW IT. There will be a good reason for the procedure on which the reliability of the part, and hence your safety, will depend. Further general information may be found in standard textbooks and publications. It should be remembered that having read this book one is not immediately qualified as an expert inspector) Expertise and skill in inspection, as with any other activity, come only with experience. When in doubt over the state of an item always ask a qualified aircraft maintenance engineer for his judgement. He may charge you for his advice but what price can be set upon peace of mind when you are at five thousand feet with your family in the back of the aircraft. The photographs and other illustrative material in this book have been chosen with a view to illustrating as many different technical points as possible. To some extent the choice has been dictated by the range of aircraft most readily accessible to the author. The inclusion of any illustration is not intended to show preference for that particular product. Nor does it imply that the product is inferior or unreliable. Finally it remains to thank all those who through their co-operation and encouragement have made this publication possible. The views expressed are my own and where conflict exists between the material in this book and the manufacturer's or government publications then the latter must be taken as the authority in a particular case.