Choosing the Repair Station for Your Needs

How To Match Ratings and Classes to Your Parts

It’s important that you choose the correct repair station with the proper expertise for each part that needs to be repaired. This can be a confusing process since repair stations offer different areas of expertise. The FAA has created a system of Ratings, each with its own Classes. Think of it like the automotive industry. There are classes, SUV, Sedan, Compact, etc. and models that are within each class, i.e. Chevrolet Suburban, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, etc.

Before choosing the right repair station, you need to know what to ask the station for best results and a successful repair. Here is a list of basic questions to find out before choosing the right repair station:

• Is the repair station FAA-Certified?

• What Rating(s) is the repair station authorized to repair?

• Is the repair station Class-Rated?

• How much will the repair cost?

• What is the turnaround time for the repair?

• What kind of communication and/or report does the repair station provide during repairs?

(AEREOS): An Atlas Aerospace Engineer examines an electro mechanical aircraft component.

Ratings and Classes

Now that you know important criteria to ask the repair station, let’s look at Ratings. The FAA has categorized Ratings for organizing parts into correct categories. These include airframe, powerplant, propeller, radio, instrument and accessory. Under each Rating, there are classes to help delineate categories for each unique component category. Think of these are basic categories for knowing a part’s rating and class.

Here’s a breakdown from the FAA’s list of Ratings, and their Classes:

Airframe

Class 1: Composite construction of small aircraft.

Class 2: Composite construction of large aircraft.

Class 3: All-metal construction of small aircraft.

Class 4: All-metal construction of large aircraft.

Powerplant

Class 1: Reciprocating engines of 400 horsepower or less.

Class 2: Reciprocating engines of more than 400 horsepower.

Class 3: Turbine engines.

Propeller

Class 1: Fixed-pitch and ground-adjustable propellers of wood, metal, or composite construction.

Class 2: Other propellers, by make.

Radio

Class 1: Communication equipment. Radio transmitting and/or receiving equipment used in an aircraft to send or receive communications in flight, regardless of carrier frequency or type of modulation used. This equipment includes auxiliary and related aircraft interphone systems, amplifier systems, electrical or electronic intercrew signaling devices, and similar equipment. This equipment does not include equipment used for navigating or aiding navigation of aircraft, equipment used for measuring altitude or terrain clearance, other measuring equipment operated on radio or radar principles, or mechanical, electrical, gyroscopic, or electronic instruments that are a part of communications radio equipment.

Class 2: Navigational equipment. A radio system used in an aircraft for en route or approach navigation. This does not include equipment operated on radar or pulsed radio frequency principles, or equipment used for measuring altitude or terrain clearance.

Class 3: Radar equipment. An aircraft electronic system operated on radar or pulsed radio frequency principles.

Instrument

Class 1: Mechanical. A diaphragm, bourdon tube, aneroid, optical, or mechanically driven centrifugal instrument used on aircraft or to operate aircraft, including tachometers, airspeed indicators, pressure gauges drift sights, magnetic compasses, altimeters, or similar mechanical instruments.

Class 2: Electrical. Self-synchronous and electrical-indicating instruments and systems, including remote indicating instruments, cylinder head temperature gauges, or similar electrical instruments.

Class 3: Gyroscopic. An instrument or system using gyroscopic principles and motivated by air pressure or electrical energy, including automatic pilot control units, turn and bank indicators, directional gyros, and their parts, and flux gate and gyrosyn compasses.

Class 4: Electronic. An instrument whose operation depends on electron tubes, transistors, or similar devices, including capacitance type quantity gauges, system amplifiers, and engine analyzers.

Accessory

Class 1: A mechanical accessory that depends on friction, hydraulics, mechanical linkage, or pneumatic pressure for operation, including aircraft wheel brakes, mechanically driven pumps, carburetors, aircraft wheel assemblies, shock absorber struts and hydraulic servo units.

Class 2: An electrical accessory that depends on electrical energy for its operation, and a generator, including starters, voltage regulators, electric motors, electrically driven fuel pumps magnetos, or similar electrical accessories.

Class 3: An electronic accessory that depends on the use of an electron tube transistor, or similar device, including supercharger, temperature, air conditioning controls, or similar electronic controls.

Contact Aereos today for Accessory Component Repair turnaround time and pricing

(AEREOS): An ACP Engineer studies his computer monitor in process of an aircraft component repair at an ACP Repair Station.

The Importance of FAA-Authorization

When working with a repair station, you’ll be dealing with engineers who are required to follow manuals that cover responsibilities and repair station facility guidelines for each repair. These manuals are accepted through the FAA.

As you begin to work the repair station you’ve chosen, you’ll find each station’s turnaround times may differ. There are many factors to consider when you want your part fast. One of the most important factors is whether the repair station is Class Rated or not.

Class Rated repair stations are allowed to authorize repairs more quickly, saving turnaround time. That means less time waiting on the part.

Aereos offers two of the finest Accessory Class-Rated Repair Stations in the World: ACP & Atlas.

Contact us today.