Definition
Maintenance facilities certificated by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 145, authorized to perform inspections, repairs, alterations, and overhauls on aircraft, engines, propellers, appliances, or components within the specific ratings and limitations listed on their certificate.
Plain English
FAA-approved shops that are officially permitted to fix aircraft and aircraft parts. Each shop is only allowed to work on the kinds of items the FAA has cleared it to handle.
Context Anchor
Seen when checking who may perform work on an aircraft so it can remain legal and safe to fly.
Derivation
Approved comes from an older meaning of proving or confirming something as acceptable. In aviation, it means formally accepted by the FAA, not just generally trusted or well liked.
Why Pilots Care
Only these FAA-authorized facilities can legally perform many required repairs, so using one protects the aircraft's legal flying status.
Intuition Check
Do not read approved as meaning “recommended” or “good quality” in a casual sense. Here it means formally authorized by the FAA to do specific aircraft work.
Example Sentence 1
The owner flew the aircraft to an approved repair station because the avionics upgrade was beyond the scope of routine maintenance.
Example Sentence 2
Before signing off on the work, the pilot confirmed the shop was listed as an approved repair station with the correct ratings for the engine repair.