It is the Pilot In Command's responsibility to ensure that the aircraft is registered and fit for flight.  The pilot must conduct a daily inspection prior to the first flight of each day, and in addition must also conduct a pre-flight inspection prior to each flight of items critical to flight safety.  Any damage or defects found when complying with these inspections are to be endorsed for appropriate rectification action.  If you are unsure of the correct action contact the RA-Aus, or a person accredited with a RA-Aus Level Two Maintenance Authority (L2), or the Drifter Factory for further advice.

An Inspection & Service Schedule is included in the Pilot's Operating Handbook for each aircraft.  By following the Inspection and Service Schedule combined with thorough daily inpections you can ensure a high maintenance standard for your aircraft.  All maintenance must be undertaken by suitably trained and experienced persons.  It is a requirement of Drifter Aircraft Pty Ltd that a thorough inspection of your aircraft is performed every 100 hours of flight or once per year, whichever is earlier, and that these inspections and all maintenance actions be recorded in the aircraft Maintenance Log.  Drifter Aircraft Pty Ltd recommend the 100 Hr inspection or yearly inspection be conducted by the holder of a Level Two Maintenance Authority or higher qualification, and that every five years or 500 hours in service, which ever is sooner, the inspection be conducted by a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME).

The aircraft log book must be kept up to date including:  Date of flight, hours flown and landings made; Maintenance carried out and the date/airframe hours at which time the maintenance was conducted; Parts used; Modifications; Components changed; and special inspections and the results of those inspections.  More information regarding log book requirements can be found at the RA-Aus website, and also in the RA-Aus Technical Manual which is issued to a RA-Aus pilot with their license.  An accurate log book is required by legislation and records the maintenance history of an aircraft since its manufacture.

All parts used on the Drifter must be genuine Drifter parts, which are certified by CASA and approved by the Drifter Factory.  When buying certified parts you can be certian that each part has been tested and meets stringent quality control standards.  An uncertified part does not have to be tested; in fact it may be purchased from you local hardware store, and as such, there is a large element of risk for the pilot and passenger when flying an aircraft that contains parts which have no quality control.  When uncertified parts are installed on your Drifter YOU are the experiment!  There are also implications of using uncertified parts on a certified Drifter, as it is against the law.  In doing so the Drifter becomes uncertified, an experimental aircraft.  The owner then assumes all liability for the aircraft as it no longer conforms to its Type Certificate.  Lastly, if uncertified parts are found on a certified aircraft it will dramatically reduce the aircraft's resale value.

The repair of aeronautical structures or systems requires specialist knowledge and good workmanship.  Specialist advice for the Drifter is available from the Drifter Factory or from a professional engineer qualified and experienced to give that advice.  If the repair does not return the structure or system to its originally specified state, then this is classed as a modification.  Modifications to the Drifter must be approved by the Drifter Factory, or in the case of an individual aircraft, a person holding a CASA Instrument of Appointment under CAR 35.  Once approved, these modifications can be manufactred and installed by an appropriate person.  Both the manufacturer and the installer are to write the modification into the aircraft log book according to the instructions specified in the RA-Aus Technical Manual.

Drifter Aircraft Pty Ltd will write Service Letters to convey technical information of a relevant nature including modifications or inspections.  These Service Letters will be distributed to persons listed in a Publications Register of owners and operators of SB 582 Drifter aircraft, and will also be available for download through this website.