SAFETY CHECK: What Does “Approved for Return to Service” Really Mean?

 Welcome to the Safety Section of the Flying Clubs Newsletter, Club Connector!

Every month we provide resources for flying club safety officers to keep their clubs informed and safe. We include links to PowerPoint presentations (and smaller PDFs) that we use at our own meetings, so there is always a topic ready for your club’s next safety meeting. Along with the presentations, we also provide links to relevant articles, videos, and other media that you may also find useful. You can find this month’s safety article and the full archive, here: https://youcanfly.aopa.org/flying-clubs/flying-club-newsletter/safety  

So, let’s get on with this month’s safety topic!  

Return to Service Approval

Background:  

This month’s safety topic focuses on a critical yet often misunderstood concept: approval for return to service. While some pilots may believe they have the authority to return an aircraft to service, this is only partially true—and only in the context of pilot-performed preventive maintenance as defined by the FAA.

When a certified mechanic performs maintenance, inspections, or repairs, the situation changes significantly. From the moment a mechanic begins work, the aircraft is generally considered not airworthy. It remains in that status until the mechanic completes the task and issues a formal return-to-service endorsement. This endorsement isn’t just a formality—it’s a legal declaration that the aircraft meets all applicable airworthiness requirements and is safe for flight.

Aircraft owners and operators must recognize that work in progress is not just a technicality—it has real implications for safety, compliance, and liability. Without a properly documented return-to-service approval, operating the aircraft could result in regulatory violations or worse, compromise flight safety.

Learning points:

1. Visual Inspections Aren’t Enough
   A mechanic can’t just walk past an aircraft and give a thumbs up—formal approval is required.
2. What Counts as Approval?
   Approval for return to service must be a signed endorsement from an authorized mechanic.
3. What Must Be Included in the Endorsement?
   The mechanic’s entry must include:

1. A description of the work performed
2. The date
3. The mechanic’s signature
4. Their certificate number

4. Must be Specific in Descriptions
   The log should clearly state what was done.
   Example: “At aircraft total time of 1,234.5 hours, changed oil and added 8 quarts.”
   
5. Liability Matters
   If the aircraft wasn’t properly returned to service and something goes wrong, the owner—not the mechanic—may be held responsible.

1. Maintenance and tracking tools.

1. Many flight school maintenance departments will use their own clipboard or status sheets to monitor the status of aircraft. This is fine but still not the original endorsement.
2. Programs like Flight Schedule Pro are used to monitor tach time for maintenance and pilot squawks. From an administrative standpoint, these are phenomenal programs which add to safety.
3. While these online programs can ground and release aircraft for service, you must still be able to verify the original endorsement saying that the airplane is released for service by It’s important to understand that just because an online program or status clipboard says okay to dispatch does not mean the pilot shouldn’t check the original endorsement from the mechanic.

1. Keep in mind, many NTSB judges have rules after an accident that just because a mechanic, flight school, or maintenance staff says the airplane is released for service does not mean the pilot did not need to verify the endorsement.

2. A good document from the FAA is called Plane Sense. This is a great publication to stay out of trouble. Check it out for free!
   
   https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/faa-h-8083-19A.pdf

3. Another great document is advisory circular 43-9C which describes methods and practices that help show compliance with general aviation maintenance and record keeping.

     https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_43-9C_CHG_2.pdf  

Check out the Safety Management System regarding general aviation safety from AOPA’s Air Safety Institute. https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute/Scalable-Safety-Framework. The FAA is preparing to put a heightened focus on general aviation SMS this year. Currently, airline operations tend to be the focus of SMS.    

Our safety community involves pilots (yes, even student pilots), instructors, maintenance technicians, the FAA, and the Air Safety Institute from AOPA.  

The entire Flying Club team at AOPA are FAAST team members and we are happy to host a safety webinar for your club. The Wings credits that your members will get can be a huge motivator to get members to attend. Also, some insurance companies will lower rates if they are aware that your club is hosting FAAST meetings.   

Other Safety Resources:  

Here is a reminder of just some of the safety resources available to all pilots:  

FAASTeam:  

faasafety.gov  

The FAASTeam website is the portal to a vast array of courses, videos, links, and much more. Remember that WINGS not only encompasses knowledge activities but also flight activities. Use the search options to narrow down to say, flight activities for a basic phase of WINGS, and you’ll be able to find a syllabus and often a worksheet for various flight activities. Use WINGS to keep you proficient and think of the flight activities as a progressive flight review—earnt over 12-months, rather than at the end of 24-months.  

Wait…you don’t do WINGS?  

That’s a big shame—you are missing out on a free pilot proficiency program that will help you enjoy your flying even more, allow you to earn a flight review every 12 months just by flying, and may provide insurance discounts.  

The FAASTeam WINGS pilot proficiency program is the best way for general aviation pilots to ensure they are competent, confident, and safe in their flight operations. Oh, and being perpetually proficient will save you money in the long run.    

If you are interested in using the FAASTeam WINGS program for your personal flying or with your flying club, create an account on the FAASTeam website, http://www.faasafety.gov, and explore the collection of courses and flight activities. Also, feel free to contact me (Jason Levine, WINGS Representative), and I’d be pleased to walk you through the program. More on “WINGS for Clubs” can be found here in Flying Clubs Radio Episode 8 and the May 2020 Question of the Month.    

Other FAA Resources:  

Don’t forget to regularly revisit these FAA safety gems, as new material is frequently added:  

Pilot Minute  

57 Seconds to Safer Flying  

FAA Safety Briefing Magazine  

From the Flight Deck    

AOPA Air Safety Institute:  

https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute  

AOPA’s Air Safety Institute (ASI), which by the way is funded by the AOPA Foundation just like the Flying Clubs Initiative, is packed with exceptional content, including exceptional videos, podcasts, accident analysis, online courses, recorded webinars and more. Completing ASI activities may also earn WINGS credits. Of particular interest to flying club safety officers is the updated Safety to Go section. There, you can download a selection of topics, each coming with PowerPoint slides and speaker’s notes!