Student Pilot Adding Oil

There are no rules on who may or may not service aircraft, including fueling, adding oil, airing the tires, washing, etc.
 
Ron Levy said:
There are no rules on who may or may not service aircraft, including fueling, adding oil, airing the tires, washing, etc.
Click to expand...

Unless... it is a requirement of the FBO/operator/owner.
 
I added oil (and fuel, duh!) long before I was even a student. Even turbine oil.. it's not rocket science. All the guys I worked with are great line guys, and I'm pretty sure most of us were more capable of adding oil than some pilots that came in...
 
Ron Levy said:
There are no rules on who may or may not service aircraft, including fueling, adding oil, airing the tires, washing, etc.
Click to expand...

A couple of months ago there was a heated discussion amongst Southwest pilots and maintenance. Maintenance claimed that the pilots were not authorized to replace burned out panel light bulbs. I think maintenance lost....
 
It's gotta be a Red Board discussion.

You're not recalling going to call FSDO over this are you?
But then again they need a good chuckle.
 
Plain language reading of the reg suggests one must hold at least a PPL, however non-sensical as it is....
 
Jaybird180 said:
Plain language reading of the reg suggests one must hold at least a PPL, however non-sensical as it is....
Click to expand...
I agree, it's extremely non-sensical. However, I'm sure we could all point out many of those in the FARs. What I have yet so see here, besides borderline mockery, is a concrete interpretation or evidence showing that our analysis is incorrect, however ridiculous it may seem to us non-bureaucrats.
 
Jaybird180 said:
Plain language reading of the reg suggests one must hold at least a PPL, however non-sensical as it is....
Click to expand...

If you are reading 14CFR43 Apdx A, adding oil is not listed, neither is adding fuel or air.

If you are referring to "lubrication", that would be grease fittings or other items to be lubricated, cables, etc. I've never seen engine oil included.

By your definition, a student pilot cannot self service fuel either?
 
BillTIZ said:
If you are referring to "lubrication", that would be grease fittings or other items to be lubricated, cables, etc. I've never seen engine oil included
Click to expand...
That's what I'm trying to figure out. Nowhere have I been able to find "lubrication" defined by the FAA. It doesn't matter how I define it, but how they do.
 
Part 43 says at least pilot certificate, it only restricts Sport Pilot certificates, or owner/operator. If I'm piloting the aircraft, I am operating the aircraft. I can change my own flat tire. I don't need to own it.

Oh, and a student certificate is a pilot certificate issued under Part 61. That counts.
 
Old Geek said:
A couple of months ago there was a heated discussion amongst Southwest pilots and maintenance. Maintenance claimed that the pilots were not authorized to replace burned out panel light bulbs. I think maintenance lost....
Click to expand...

"Not authorized" on FAR grounds or union contract scope?
 
dmspilot said:
The performance of "preventive maintenance" under 14 CFR 43 Appendix A requires that the person not only hold at least a private pilot certificate, but that person must also be the owner of the aircraft.

I've had FBO staff add oil, who were not any type of pilot at all, nor were they mechanics, nor were they the owner of anything.

If adding oil is preventive maintenance, is checking the oil level also preventive maintenance? So no one can check the oil except for a private pilot who must also be the owner? :confused:
Click to expand...

It is not, it is servicing and not considered maintenance.
 
If Servicing was considered Maintenance, wouldn't adding oil be logged as "Maintenance"

How many entries do you see in the A/F or E logs? just the oil changes? oil changes are maintenance.
 
I get a kick out of the guys on askacfi, they love to copy paste FARs.

Yes students can change their oil:yes:
 
Tom-D said:
If Servicing was considered Maintenance, wouldn't adding oil be logged as "Maintenance"

How many entries do you see in the A/F or E logs? just the oil changes? oil changes are maintenance.
Click to expand...
That's just it; Nowhere is "servicing" or similar defined either.

But there is other maintenance not logged. Under the preventative maintenance scope outlined in Part 43 Appendix A, such as adding air or oil to landing gear shocks, replacing cotter pins, adding hydraulic fluid, ect, wouldn't all of that need to be logged as well then?
 
A dozen lurkers reading this thread just gave up on their plan to become pilots. Sigh. We have met the enemy....
 
dmspilot said:
The performance of "preventive maintenance" under 14 CFR 43 Appendix A requires that the person not only hold at least a private pilot certificate, but that person must also be the owner of the aircraft.
Click to expand...

43.3(g) says owner or operator. However, I think this is moot (see below).

I've had FBO staff add oil, who were not any type of pilot at all, nor were they mechanics, nor were they the owner of anything.

If adding oil is preventive maintenance, is checking the oil level also preventive maintenance? So no one can check the oil except for a private pilot who must also be the owner? :confused:
Click to expand...

Preventive maintenance is defined in 14 CFR 1.1:

Preventive maintenance means simple or minor preservation operations and the replacement of small standard parts not involving complex assembly operations.
Click to expand...

I suppose one could stretch that definition to include checking and adding oil as a "simple or minor preservation operation," but I think section (c) of Appendix A rules that out, because it says "Preventive maintenance is limited to the following work, provided it does not involve complex assembly operations." Checking and adding engine oil are not on the list.

So it looks to me like the rules for preventive maintenance do not apply to checking or adding engine oil, and that means the requirement for a private pilot certificate doesn't apply.
 
I'd like to see the day the FAA line check guy comes stomping up to some poor student and gives him gripe about adding oil to an engine.

Seriously y'all we're just adding oil here. You open the cap/dipstick combo (as is the case with my plane), get a funnel or just pour really carefully. I know the interpretation of the regs may say blah blah must be a pilot with 1,000 hours, but it's oil. Plus, I think if the student's CFI was watching, it would be okay. It's like preflighting the plane alone.
 
bbchien said:
Oh for heaven's sake, if it needs oil, ADD OIL.
Click to expand...
Or if you're a student, add oil even when it does not need oil (student sees oil just barely off "full" line on dipstick when engine is still hot from previous flight... adds another quart). :D
 
dmspilot said:
The performance of "preventive maintenance" under 14 CFR 43 Appendix A requires that the person not only hold at least a private pilot certificate, but that person must also be the owner of the aircraft.
Click to expand...

If you have to be at least a PP, does that mean that you need a current medical to exercises the privileges of the aforementioned PP? :rolleyes2:

I've given up on reading / trying to understand the regulations.
 
Old Geek said:
A couple of months ago there was a heated discussion amongst Southwest pilots and maintenance. Maintenance claimed that the pilots were not authorized to replace burned out panel light bulbs. I think maintenance lost....
Click to expand...

I had a high time pilot warn me that the FAA better not find out about me replacing a bulb on the 152 I was caring for.
 
Old Geek said:
A couple of months ago there was a heated discussion amongst Southwest pilots and maintenance. Maintenance claimed that the pilots were not authorized to replace burned out panel light bulbs. I think maintenance lost....
Click to expand...

Wait until the union gets involved......
 
Old Geek said:
A couple of months ago there was a heated discussion amongst Southwest pilots and maintenance. Maintenance claimed that the pilots were not authorized to replace burned out panel light bulbs. I think maintenance lost....
Click to expand...
That is a 121 operation and the rules are way more restrictive than on us Part 91 folks.
 
The ones on maintenance is what I was referring...part 43
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top