Definition
An inspection that an Airworthiness Directive (AD) requires to be performed again at a specified interval — for example, every set number of flight hours, calendar months, or operating cycles — for as long as the affected part or condition remains on the aircraft.
Plain English
An inspection the FAA requires you to keep doing at regular intervals, not just once. You check the item, sign it off, and then check it again when the next interval comes around.
Context Anchor
Seen in Airworthiness Directives, maintenance records, and aircraft airworthiness reviews when a required check must be repeated over time.
Derivation
From Latin repetere, 'to do again.' The word emphasises that the inspection is not a one-time fix but an ongoing obligation that recurs on a schedule.
Why Pilots Care
Missing a required repetitive inspection can render the aircraft unairworthy and expose the owner or operator to regulatory penalties.
Analogy
It is like being told to check a tire every week until it is replaced, not just checking it one time and forgetting about it.
Intuition Check
Repetitive does not mean optional or simply extra careful. In this context, it means the inspection must be done again at required intervals, and each due inspection matters.
Example Sentence 1
The AD on the engine's exhaust system called for a repetitive inspection every 100 hours, so the mechanic logged the next due time before returning the aircraft to service.
Example Sentence 2
The mechanic logged the repetitive inspection in the aircraft maintenance records before returning the plane to service.