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• After landing, parking, and securing 

## LSA Maintenance 

Proper airplane maintenance is required to maximize flight safety. LSAs are no different and must be treated with the same level of care as any standard airworthiness certificated airplane. S-LSAs have greater latitude pertaining to who may conduct maintenance as compared to standard airworthiness certificated airplanes. S-LSAs may be maintained and inspected by: 

• An LSA Repairman with a Maintenance rating; or, 

• An FAA-certificated Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A&P); or, 

• As specified by the aircraft manufacturer; or 

• As permitted, owners performing limited maintenance on their S-LSA 

The airplane maintenance manual includes the specific requirements for repair and maintenance, such as information on inspections, repair, and authorization for repairs and maintenance. Most often, S-LSA inspections can be signed off by an FAA-certificated A&P or LSA repairman with a Maintenance rating rather than an A&P with Inspection Authorization (IA); however, the aircraft maintenance manual provides the specific requirements which must be followed. The FAA does not issue Airworthiness Directives (ADs) for S-LSAs or E-LSAs. If an FAA-certified component is installed on an LSA, the FAA issues any pertaining ADs for that specific component. Manufacturer safety directives are not distributed by the FAA. S-LSA owners must comply with: 

• Safety directives (alerts, bulletins, and notifications) issued by the LSA manufacturer 

• ADs if any FAA-certificated components are installed 

• Safety alerts (immediate action) 

• Service bulletins (recommending future action) 

• Safety notifications (informational) 

S-LSA compliance with maintenance requirements provides greater latitude for owners and operators of these airplanes. Because of the options in complying with the maintenance requirements, pilots who are transitioning to LSAs must understand how maintenance is accomplished; who is providing the maintenance services; and verify that all compliance requirements have been met. 

## Airframe and Systems 

## Construction 

LSAs may be constructed using wood, tube and fabric, metal, composite, or any combination of materials. In general, a 

primary effort by the manufacturer is to keep the airplane lightweight while maintaining the structural requirements. Composite LSAs tend to be sleek and modern looking with clean lines as molding of the various components allows designers great flexibility shaping the airframe. Other LSAs are authentic-looking renditions of early aviation airplanes with fabric covering a framework of steel tubes. Of course, LSAs may be anything in between using both metal and composite construction.  [Figure 16-3]  A pilot transitioning into LSA should understand the type of construction and what are typical concerns for each type of construction: 

• Steel tube and fabric—while the techniques of steel tube and fabric construction hails back to the early days of aviation, this construction method has proven to be lightweight, strong, and inexpensive to build and maintain. Advances in fabric technology continue to make this method of covering airframes an excellent choice. Fabric can be limited in its life span if not properly maintained. Fabric should be free from tears, well-painted with little to no fading, and should easily spring back when lightly pressed. 

• Aluminum—an aluminum-fabricated airplane has been a favorite choice for decades. Pilots should be quite familiar with this type of construction. Generally, airframes tend to be lightly rounded structures dotted with rivets and fasteners. This construction is easily inspected due to the wide-spread experience with aluminum structures. Conditions such as corrosion, working rivets, dents, and cracks should be a part of a pilot’s preflight inspection. 

• Composite—a composite airplane is principally made from structural epoxies and cloth-like fabrics, such as bi-directional and uni-directional fiberglass cloths, and specialty cloths like carbon fiber. Airframe components, such as wing and fuselage halves, are made in molds that result in a sculpted, mirror-like 

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