Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Airworthiness Inspector

🎯 Role Definition

As an Airworthiness Inspector you are the organization’s subject matter expert on continued airworthiness, regulatory compliance and maintenance release. You will perform detailed inspections, verify compliance with FAA/EASA (or relevant authority) regulations, review technical records and maintenance data, and provide formal releases to service while partnering closely with engineering, maintenance, quality, and regulatory authorities. This role balances field inspection, technical documentation review, and stakeholder liaison to ensure aircraft, engines and components are safe and legally airworthy.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) Mechanic / Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Quality Assurance Technician or Inspector within an MRO
Maintenance Planner or Line Maintenance Supervisor

Advancement To:

Lead Airworthiness Inspector / Senior Airworthiness Engineer
Airworthiness / Maintenance Manager or Quality Manager
Certification Engineer / Designated Engineering Representative (DER) or Regulatory Liaison

Lateral Moves:

Maintenance Program Manager
Regulatory Compliance Officer / Safety Management System (SMS) Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive pre-delivery, periodic and acceptance inspections of aircraft, engines, components and modifications to certify compliance with applicable airworthiness regulations (FAA, EASA, or national authority), manufacturer specifications, and approved data prior to release to service.
Review and validate maintenance records, logbooks, work orders and certification documentation to confirm traceability, completeness and regulatory conformity; identify and resolve discrepancies before issuing maintenance release.
Evaluate compliance with Airworthiness Directives (ADs), Service Bulletins (SBs), Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) and modification approvals by researching regulatory history, cross-checking accomplishment records and coordinating corrective actions.
Perform surveillance audits and on-site inspections of internal maintenance operations and third-party maintenance organizations (Part-145/145 AMO), verifying procedures, tooling, NDT processes and staff qualifications meet approved standards.
Authorize and issue formal maintenance release documentation (for example, release-to-service certificates or equivalent legal paperwork) after ensuring all work meets the applicable airworthiness standards and company procedures.
Assess and approve repair and alteration proposals in coordination with engineering, ensuring compliance with structural repair manuals (SRMs), component maintenance manuals (CMMs), illustrated parts catalogs (IPC) and approved engineering data.
Conduct functional ground tests, operational checks and flight test observation (as required) to verify that repaired or modified aircraft systems perform within certified limits before final sign-off.
Lead incident and non-routine event investigations related to continued airworthiness, determining root causes, documenting findings, and recommending corrective and preventive actions to stakeholders and authorities.
Maintain and update technical records management systems (paper and electronic), ensuring document control, retention schedules and audit trails meet regulatory requirements and company policies.
Coordinate with certification authorities and civil aviation regulators for import/export airworthiness matters, ferry permits, special flight permits and conformity documentation during aircraft transfers.
Provide technical guidance on MEL/CDL/NEF entries, operational limitations and return-to-service conditions, aligning maintenance actions with flight operations and dispatch requirements.
Conduct delegated inspections and certification actions under a delegated authority program (where applicable), ensuring all delegated functions are performed within the scope of the authorization and with documented competency.
Oversee nondestructive testing (NDT) programs and interpretation results (ultrasonic, eddy current, dye penetrant, radiography) to validate structural integrity and to determine serviceability for continued flight.
Review and sign off on components and parts traceability, shelf-life items, life-limited parts, and repair station tags to prevent unapproved or counterfeit materials entering the fleet.
Evaluate vendor repair data, vendor audits and supplier corrective action plans; approve vendor statements of conformance and coordinate supplier qualification activities.
Facilitate and participate in safety risk assessments, maintenance hazard analyses and reliability improvement programs to identify airworthiness risks and reduce unscheduled maintenance.
Train, mentor and assess junior inspectors and maintenance staff on inspection techniques, regulatory changes, record-keeping and organizational procedures to build robust inspection capability.
Provide technical input to maintenance program development, scheduled maintenance planning and continuous airworthiness management, identifying opportunities to optimize safety and cost-effectiveness.
Interpret complex engineering drawings, load paths and system schematics to support structural inspections, damage assessments and repair decisions with engineering concurrence where required.
Ensure calibration and certification of inspection tools and test equipment; manage tool control programs and verify measurement uncertainty is acceptable for inspection criteria.
Liaise with flight operations, engineering and procurement to resolve airworthiness issues that affect dispatch, operational reliability or fleet availability, balancing safety and commercial considerations.
Prepare detailed inspection reports, non-conformance reports (NCRs), airworthiness action recommendations and audit findings for management review and regulatory submission.
Keep current with regulatory changes, manufacturer service information and industry best practices; proactively implement process changes and communicate updates to relevant teams.

Secondary Functions

Support continuous improvement initiatives for inspection workflows, documentation templates and quality assurance processes to reduce administrative burden and strengthen compliance.
Collect and analyze maintenance reliability data and inspection findings to identify trends, recurring failures and opportunities for preventive maintenance modifications.
Participate in cross-functional project teams for aircraft modifications, special inspections, AD implementation projects and fleet upgrades to provide airworthiness input.
Assist in creating and revising airworthiness manuals, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and training materials to reflect regulatory updates and lessons learned.
Support the company’s Safety Management System (SMS) by contributing safety reports, hazard logs and corrective action tracking for airworthiness-related items.
Provide on-call technical support for maintenance troubleshooting during AOG events and coordinate rapid airworthiness assessments to enable timely recoveries.
Represent the organization during regulatory inspections, audits and certification visits; prepare evidence packages and respond to findings with corrective action plans.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep working knowledge of civil aviation regulations: FAA (FARs), EASA (CS/Part-145, Part-M, Part-66) or relevant national authority rules.
Ability to interpret and apply Airworthiness Directives (ADs), Service Bulletins (SBs), STCs, and regulatory guidance to maintenance and inspection tasks.
Proven experience reviewing and validating technical records, logbooks, maintenance release documentation and certification paperwork.
Familiarity with structural inspection techniques and repair standards, including SRM, CMM, IPC and approved engineering data.
Competence with nondestructive testing (NDT) methods and interpretation or working with certified NDT providers (ultrasonic, eddy current, MPI, dye penetrant).
Experience with maintenance planning and continued airworthiness processes, including MEL/CDL management and reliability programs.
Proficient in using maintenance tracking and ERP systems such as AMOS, TRAX, CAMP, Ramco, IFS or SAP PM for records and work-pack management.
Strong technical drawing and schematic reading skills (airframe systems, avionics, structures, hydraulics, fuel and electrical systems).
Working knowledge of component maintenance and life-limited parts control, parts traceability, and procurement of aviation parts.
Experience in conducting audits and surveillance of maintenance organizations, suppliers and subcontractors against regulatory standards.
Ability to prepare regulatory submissions, import/export documentation, permits and liaise with civil aviation authorities.
Familiarity with ground test procedures, functional checks and post-maintenance verification techniques.
Proficient with Microsoft Office, document management systems and digital record-keeping best practices.
Understanding of human factors, safety management systems (SMS) and quality assurance principles as applied to maintenance operations.

Soft Skills

Excellent attention to detail and methodical documentation habits to ensure regulatory compliance and traceability.
Strong written and verbal communication skills for clear inspection reports, regulatory correspondence and cross-functional collaboration.
Analytical and critical thinking to assess complex technical data and determine appropriate airworthiness dispositions.
Decisive and responsible ethical judgment when authorizing release-to-service actions under pressure.
Ability to train, mentor and influence maintenance crews, engineers and administrative staff.
Effective time management and prioritization skills to manage multiple inspections, audits and urgent AOG issues.
Collaborative team player who can work with operations, engineering, procurement and regulators.
Resilient under operational pressure, adaptable to changing schedules and regulatory updates.
Problem-solving orientation with a proactive approach to preventing recurrence of airworthiness issues.
Professional demeanor for regulatory meetings, stakeholder engagement and representing the organization externally.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent plus FAA A&P certificate or national aircraft maintenance license (or demonstrable equivalent regulatory license).

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering, Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
Advanced certifications such as DER authorization, EASA Part-66 Category B1/B2, Lead Auditor (ISO 9001/AO) or industry-recognized NDT qualifications.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering
Aircraft Maintenance Technology / Aviation Maintenance
Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
Avionics / Systems Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3 – 10+ years in aircraft maintenance, inspection, or quality assurance roles.

Preferred:

5+ years of direct airworthiness inspection experience within an MRO, airline maintenance environment or regulatory body.
Demonstrable experience with FAA/EASA compliance, Part-145 surveillance, technical records review, AD implementation and release-to-service procedures.
Background auditing maintenance organizations, supplier oversight and coordination with regulatory authorities for certification and airworthiness matters.