Definition
A specific category of simple, minor maintenance work that the FAA permits a certificated pilot who owns or operates an aircraft to perform on that aircraft, without requiring a certificated mechanic. The allowed tasks are listed in 14 CFR Part 43, Appendix A, and include items such as replacing landing gear tires, servicing landing gear wheel bearings, replacing safety belts, and changing engine oil. It does not include major repairs or major alterations.
Plain English
A short list of small, routine maintenance jobs that a pilot-owner is legally allowed to do on their own aircraft, instead of paying a mechanic.
Context Anchor
Seen when learning what maintenance work a pilot may legally perform or record for an aircraft.
Derivation
From the everyday phrase 'preventive maintenance' — work done in advance to prevent problems. The FAA borrowed the ordinary phrase but gave it a narrow legal meaning: only the specific tasks listed in the regulations count.
Why Pilots Care
It defines exactly which minor tasks pilots may legally handle themselves, reducing downtime and costs while maintaining regulatory compliance and airworthiness.
Intuition Check
Do not assume preventive maintenance means any work that prevents problems. In FAA use, it means only the specific kinds of minor maintenance the rules allow.
Example Sentence 1
The owner changed the engine oil himself under the preventive maintenance rules and made the required logbook entry.
Example Sentence 2
The owner performed preventive maintenance by tightening the wheel fairing screws during the preflight inspection.