From accident reports to FAA maintenance alerts, the new Aging General Aviation Education & Training website provides a single access point to type-specific aging general aviation maintenance information.
The goal of the site is to provide the general aviation community with the information needed to maintain the safety of older general aviation airplanes, say developers, who note users can easily locate articles and resources relevant to nearly any make and model of aging aircraft. With these features, determining whether a problem is a common occurrence within a particular make or model is just a click away.
A feature on the site called “WAR Stories” details accident occurrences in which aging aircraft maintenance is a factor. This feature is intended to help users identify potential problems that may occur in certain types of aircraft. Users can also upload their own WAR Stories, which will then be added to the site after review, allowing pilots and mechanics to create a social network in which to communicate their experiences and documentations.
The site includes recommended continued education and training information for owners, pilots, airframe and powerplant mechanics, avionics technicians, structural designated engineering representatives (DER), airframe aviation safety engineers (ASE), systems/equipment DERs, systems ASEs and aviation safety inspectors.
Other resources include an extensive list of aircraft type clubs, an archive of FAA aging aircraft-related documents (including Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins, Advisory Circulars, Airworthiness Directives and Maintenance Alerts) and links to other FAA document databases.
The searchable database of FAA Maintenance Alerts allows users to identify all maintenance alerts connected to particular makes and models. Each Maintenance Alert included on the new site is linked to the original source PDF file generated by the FAA. The alerts range from July 1996 to present day.
The Aging General Education & Training website is hosted, developed and maintained by Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research. For more information: 316-978-5597 or Wichita.edu.