AVIATION ENGINEERING- AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME

How to Prepare an Aircraft Maintenance Programme?

Aircraft Maintenance Programme (AMP) is an important aircraft document is aviation industry. It is basically defining the policies for the maintaining the aircraft continuously under airworthy condition.

Airworthy means - Airworthiness is the measure of an aircraft's suitability for safe flight.

Aircraft Maintenance Programme defines the policy on the scheduled inspections, unscheduled inspections, Time Between Overhaul Items, Service Life Limited Items, Discard Schedule Mandatory Airworthiness Directives and Service Bulletins and other continued airworthiness programme or inspection suggested or mandate by Manufacturer / OEM of Components and regulatory authority of country of Registration.

Aircraft Maintenance Programme Shall Consists Of :

#	Type of Inspection	Remarks	Reference
1.	Scheduled Inspection	The periodicity of the schedule inspection may be in terms of Flight Hours (Flight hours may be block time or actual time in air) or Flight Cycles (Landing) or calendar periodicity.	Aircraft Maintenance Manual Engine Maintenance Manual Propeller or APU Maintenance Manual
2.	Unscheduled Inspection	The periodicity of such inspection is not fixed. These inspection has to be carried out when some special condition or incident has been happened. Example Like- Bird Hit Inspection or Lightening Strike Inspection or Overspeed of engine	Aircraft Maintenance Manual Engine Maintenance Manual Propeller or APU Maintenance Manual
3.	Time Between Overhaul (TBO)Items	These are the components maintenance. There are many components which may require a complete overhaul with in a specified period. These type of items are called TBO items. Example: A fuel control unit of engine may require overhaul at 3000 hours of operation.	Aircraft Maintenance Manual Engine Maintenance Manual Propeller or APU Maintenance Manual
4.	Discard Schedule or Service Life Limited items.	There are many components which may have a finite life. That must be replaced at a defined periodicity. Example: A Fuel Filter of pump may require replacement at every  600 hours of operation.	Aircraft Maintenance Manual Engine Maintenance Manual Propeller or APU Maintenance Manual
5.	Airworthiness Limitation	There items are mandatory lives items specified under approved Airworthiness Limitation Documents	Airworthiness Limitation Documents
6.	Structural Inspection Items	These items are related to structural inspection. Example: A visual inspection of aircraft structure at defined periodicity.	Structural Inspection & Repair Manual Aircraft Maintenance Manual
7.	Corrosion Control Inspection	These items are related for corrosion inspection and corrosion control inspection. Example: A visual inspection of aircraft structure at defined periodicity.	Structural Inspection & Repair Manual Aircraft Maintenance Manual Corrosion Control Guide.
8.	Continuous Airworthiness Programme	There are some items which are specified by manufacturer of airframe, engine , propeller , APU or components which have to be inspected at defined periodicity to make them in continuous airworthiness condition	Aircraft Maintenance Manual Engine Maintenance Manual Propeller or APU Maintenance Manual
9.	Servicing	Lubrication Schedule Washing Schedule	Aircraft Maintenance Manual Engine Maintenance Manual Propeller or APU Maintenance Manual
10.	Mandatory Items by Regulatory Authority of country of aircraft  Registration	Example Like Inspection of Emergency Locator Transmitter , Cockpit Voice Recorder, Mandatory Modification etc. which are mandate by regulatory authority of country of registration.	Civil Aviation Rules of Country of Aircraft Registration
11.	Mandatory ADs by Regulatory Authority of country of aircraft  manufacturer or STC developer	Repetitive Airworthiness Directives	Civil Aviation Rules of Country of Aircraft Manufacturers
12.	Mandatory Service Bulletins or letter  by  aircraft manufacturer or component OEMS  or STC developer	Repetitive Service Bulletins or letter	Aircraft manufacturer or component OEMS service documents or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA)