Definition
An official maintenance status indicating that an aircraft, engine, propeller, appliance, or component has been inspected, repaired, altered, or otherwise worked on, and has been approved by an appropriately certificated person for further flight operations. The return to service is recorded in the maintenance records with a signed and dated entry by the person approving the work.
Plain English
It means the aircraft has been signed off as airworthy again after maintenance and is cleared to fly.
Context Anchor
Seen in maintenance records, aircraft logbooks, inspection signoffs, and conversations with mechanics after work has been performed on an aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Confirms the aircraft meets all regulatory requirements for safe flight and prevents operation of unairworthy equipment.
Intuition Check
Do not read return to service as simply “putting the airplane back in use.” In aviation, it means the proper work and required signoff have been completed so the aircraft or part may be used again.
Example Sentence 1
After the annual inspection was completed, the mechanic made a return to service entry in the logbook so the aircraft could fly again.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot confirmed the RTS notation before accepting the aircraft for the charter flight.