Definition
A formal program of scheduled aircraft inspections that an owner or operator selects to keep the aircraft airworthy and legal to fly. The FAA recognizes several options, including the annual and 100-hour inspection cycle, a progressive inspection program, and inspection programs developed for the specific make and model under the airworthiness directives or manufacturer's recommendations.
Plain English
It is the inspection plan an aircraft is signed up to follow. Every aircraft must be on one, and each plan has its own rules about how often the aircraft is checked and what gets looked at.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft inspection discussions when describing how required aircraft checks are scheduled, performed, and recorded.
Derivation
Inspection comes from a Latin word meaning “to look into.” System comes from a Greek word meaning “a whole made of parts.” Together, the words point to more than just looking at the airplane once; they mean an organized process for checking it properly over time.
Why Pilots Care
Ensures the aircraft meets FAA safety standards and prevents in-flight mechanical issues that could result from skipped or incomplete checks.
Intuition Check
An inspection system is not one single inspection and not just a checklist. It is the whole organized process that says what gets checked, when it gets checked, who may check it, and how the result is recorded.
Example Sentence 1
Before buying the airplane, he checked the logbooks to see which inspection system it was on and whether all required inspections were current.
Example Sentence 2
Under the progressive inspection system the aircraft is examined in smaller stages throughout the year rather than in one annual event.