Maintenance release & elementary work
A maintenance release = signed certification that work on an aircraft was done properly. No takeoff after maintenance without one (CAR 605.85(1)).
Definitions (CAR 101.01(1)):
| Term | Meaning | Excludes |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Overhaul, repair, required inspection, or modification of an aeronautical product; component removal/installation | Elementary work, servicing, manufacturer work before first certificate of airworthiness (standard, special, or export) issued (CAR 101.01(1)(c)) |
| Elementary work | Only tasks listed in Standard 625 Appendix A | n/a |
Release vs elementary work:
| Work | Maintenance release | Record | Signer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Required (CAR 605.85(1)) | Release | Owner may maintain and sign own owner-maintenance or amateur-built aircraft (Standard 625.85, info note (iii)); any other aircraft: person meeting Subpart 571 qualifications for that aircraft |
| Elementary work | None (CAR 605.85(4)) | Task detailed in technical record (Standard 625.85(1)) | Person who did the work; need not be an AME (Standard 625.85, info note (ii)) |
Appendix A is exhaustive: a task not on it is not elementary work, however minor.
- Examples: tire/wheel replacement, spark plug cleaning and replacement, draining and replenishing engine oil, cylinder compression checks, filter changes, fuse/bulb replacement, battery checks and replacement, tire pressure checks.
Item limits:
| Item | Task | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | (listed tasks) | Small privately operated aircraft only |
| 2 | Tires/wheels | Also no hydraulic-line separation |
| 17, 19 | Fuses/bulbs, batteries | No such limit |
| 28 | Tire pressure | Excludes aircraft under CAR 705 (airline operations) |
Release conditional on test flight:
- Only flight crew and persons needed for essential observations on board (CAR 605.85(2)).
- Pilot-in-command enters results in journey log. Satisfactory entry completes release, no AME signature (CAR 605.85(3)).
- Signer records particulars as soon as practicable, at latest before test flight (CAR 605.94(1) Schedule I item 7).
C of A link: after maintenance, Certificate of Airworthiness or flight permit not in force until release entered in journey log and other maintenance records and signed for work performed (TP 1102, C of A condition 6).
Trap: elementary work needs a signed technical-record entry, not a release, but a "small" job off the Appendix A list is still maintenance and needs one; a satisfactory test-flight journey-log entry alone completes a conditional release, no AME signature.
References
- CARs 101.01(1)
- CARs 605.85
- Standard 625.85
- Standard 625 Appendix A
- TP 1102, Aircraft Documentation: Certificate of Airworthiness