Definition
In aviation, inspections are the required examinations of an aircraft and its components, conducted at specified intervals or events, to verify airworthiness and compliance with regulations. Common inspections include the annual inspection, 100-hour inspection, preflight inspection, and inspections required by Airworthiness Directives or the manufacturer's maintenance schedule.
Plain English
Inspections are the formal checks of an airplane that must be done at set times to make sure it is safe and legal to fly.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight planning, the walk-around, aircraft record review, and any discussion of whether the airplane may be flown.
Derivation
From the Latin inspectare, meaning 'to look into' or 'to examine closely.' In aviation it keeps that core sense — a deliberate, careful look — but with specific legal weight: each inspection has defined scope, timing, and sign-off requirements.
Why Pilots Care
Unresolved discrepancies found during inspections can ground the aircraft or lead to in-flight failures if missed.
Intuition Check
Do not read inspections as a quick glance. In aviation, inspections mean organized checks done for a safety and flight-readiness decision.
Example Sentence 1
Before the flight, the pilot reviewed the aircraft logbooks to confirm all required inspections were current.
Example Sentence 2
The mechanic performed the annual inspections to ensure continued airworthiness of the training fleet.