Technicians performing diagnostics and maintenance on a private jet inside a modern aircraft hangar facility.

Starting an Aircraft Maintenance Shop: What to Set Up

by

What to Expect From This Guide to Starting an Aircraft Maintenance Business

This guide walks you through the key decisions and practical steps for starting an aircraft maintenance business. The bullets below highlight selected areas, and the full article goes deeper.

Inside the guide, you will find:

  • Startup steps: 12 ordered steps move from choosing a model and proving demand through certifications, funding, location, equipment, pricing, and opening day.
  • Industry interviews: Hear founders and aviation maintenance professionals discuss starting and building their companies through three podcast interviews.
  • Common questions: Find answers to questions the steps leave open, including inspection authorization, who must hold certificates, and FAA repair station certification stages.
  • Daily reality: See what a typical day involves, including the parts owners often enjoy and the parts they find hard.
  • Financial planning: Learn how to build a cost worksheet, line up funding, plan operating capital, and test break-even logic before you commit.
  • FAA and local rules: Review certification authority, zoning, airport lease terms, insurance, and environmental checks, with guidance on verifying each locally.
  • Risks and warnings: Spot red flags to weigh before you start and to resolve before opening day.

The first section looks at whether aircraft maintenance suits your skills, finances, and appetite for regulated, detail-heavy jobs.

As an aircraft maintenance business owner, you offer inspection, maintenance, repair, and alteration services for aircraft and aircraft components.

A startup can be a small shop built around one certificated mechanic.

Larger startups pursue a repair station certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under 14 CFR Part 145.

The repair station route is more structured, because Part 145 sets detailed requirements before the FAA issues a certificate and ratings.

Those requirements include an application, manuals, a training program, and a list of management and supervisory personnel.

Part 145 also calls for a description of housing, facilities, equipment, and materials.

How an Aircraft Maintenance Business Earns Revenue

Your revenue usually comes from labor plus parts, though the exact mix depends on your scope.

A small startup may focus on inspections, routine maintenance, troubleshooting, and limited repairs.

Certificated repair stations can offer broader services tied to their ratings and operations specifications.

Common service revenue includes:

  • Annual and 100-hour inspections, when you hold the required authorization
  • Preventive maintenance and scheduled maintenance
  • Troubleshooting and component replacement
  • Logbook documentation
  • Service calls

Additional revenue paths include:

  • Mobile support
  • Pre-buy inspections
  • Avionics or specialty jobs, if you have the capability and approvals
  • Parts sales tied to repair jobs

One limit shapes every other decision.

What you can perform and approve for return to service depends on the certificates, ratings, and authorizations you hold.

Is an Aircraft Maintenance Business a Good Fit for You?

An aircraft maintenance business suits you if you can handle technical jobs, strict documentation, and uncertain income.

The field is technical, regulated, and demanding.

Do an honest ownership check before you think about hangar space, tools, or branding.

Start with the basics in Points to Consider Before Starting Your Business.

Ask yourself: are you moving toward something or running away from something?

Starting only to escape a job or a financial bind may not carry you through a long setup period.

Passion matters because problems will show up, and you need the drive to solve them instead of looking for a way out.

You can read more in How Passion Affects Your Business.

Be honest about what ownership demands.

Before you commit, ask yourself these questions:

  • Can you accept uncertain income, long hours, fewer vacations, and full responsibility if something goes wrong?
  • Can your household cover living expenses while the business builds income?
  • Does your family or support system back the decision?
  • Do you have the technical skills, or can you learn them?
  • Can you secure enough funds to start and operate the business?

Talking with experienced owners is one of the best ways to test your assumptions.

Speak only with owners you will not compete against, in a different city, region, or service area.

Prepare your questions before each conversation, since every owner’s path is different.

Use Business Inside Look as a starting point for finding owner insight.

Good questions to bring include:

  • What did you spend money on too soon, and what should have waited until after opening?
  • Which approvals, records, or setup items took longer than expected before you could accept payment?
  • Which jobs were best for first-months cash flow, and which looked good but were not worth taking at first?

Some owners buy an existing maintenance shop instead of starting from scratch.

Compare the tradeoffs in start from scratch or buy a business before you decide.

The best path depends on your budget, timeline, available shops for sale, and how much control you want.

The upside of this business includes:

  • Specialized demand
  • Repeat service jobs
  • Strong referral potential
  • Clear technical value
  • Room to start with a narrow scope

The downside includes:

  • Licensing and certification limits
  • High startup complexity
  • Facility and equipment requirements
  • Compliance risk
  • Longer pre-opening timelines

Your pre-opening days will not be all wrench time.

Expect to spend pre-opening time on:

  • Planning your scope
  • Setting up records
  • Meeting regulators
  • Collecting vendor quotes
  • Reviewing leases
  • Comparing insurance
  • Building documentation systems

Skills you need on opening day:

  • Technical maintenance skill
  • Documentation discipline
  • An inspection mindset
  • Safety awareness
  • Vendor communication
  • Estimating and scheduling
  • Basic financial tracking

If you lack a skill, learn it or bring in help.

Many owners use professionals for accounting, registrations, business planning, shop layout, and brand identity.

Red Flags Before You Start

These red flags should make you pause, change your model, or reconsider starting before you spend money.

Decision-stage warning signs include:

  • You cannot clearly define which jobs you are authorized to perform and approve. Pause until your certificates and scope match.
  • You have no realistic plan for finding and keeping qualified mechanics. Reconsider your size or your model.
  • You plan a repair station without the staffing or documentation capacity Part 145 requires. Consider a smaller, phased start.
  • Your overhead outruns the jobs you can realistically win. Fix your scope before you commit.
  • You are counting on customers you have not actually spoken with. Validate demand first.
  • You cannot find hangar or shop space that allows your service scope. Change the model or the location.
  • You cannot secure the insurance your site or customers expect. Resolve coverage before you sign anything.

Some challenges come with the industry itself, however capable you are.

Industry conditions to understand before you commit:

  • Shop owners and trade publications describe finding and keeping qualified mechanics as a recurring challenge.
  • Fixed costs such as salaries, hangar rent, insurance, and tooling continue whether or not your hangar is full.
  • Customers’ aircraft in your custody create liability exposure, and some airports set minimum insurance requirements for maintenance tenants.
  • Part 145 certification moves through several FAA phases, with manuals, personnel, and training documented along the way.
  • Customers often push back on shop labor rates, even as overhead costs rise.

A Day in the Life of Running an Aircraft Maintenance Business

A typical day mixes hands-on aircraft jobs with scheduling, parts orders, records, and customer conversations.

Your day centers on diagnosing problems, inspecting components, and repairing or replacing parts.

You also read manufacturer instructions and test parts with gauges and other instruments.

Each job ends with maintenance records.

Customers also expect written estimates and approval before you start a job.

Scheduling and parts take constant attention, since aircraft waiting for parts tie up space and mechanics.

What owners often enjoy:

  • Hands-on troubleshooting of complex aircraft problems
  • Working with aircraft and the people around them, which owners often name as a favorite part of aviation
  • Variety, since independent shops often inspect and repair many types of aircraft
  • Strong demand, with several shop owners describing full schedules and more requests than they can handle

What owners often find hard:

  • Finding and keeping qualified mechanics, which many shop owners call their biggest limit
  • Parts delays and schedule pressure that leave aircraft waiting in the hangar
  • Fixed costs such as hangar rent, insurance, and calibration that continue between jobs
  • Physical demands, including noise, ladders, and awkward positions during long jobs
  • Meeting deadlines under strict safety standards, with your name on each signoff
  • Customers who balk at labor rates or dislike unexpected bills

Does this daily mix of hands-on jobs, paperwork, and pressure suit you?

Step 1: Choose Your Startup Model and Scope

Choose your maintenance startup model first, because it drives your costs, your approvals, and the jobs you can accept.

Your main model choices are:

  • A small owner-led shop built around individual mechanic privileges
  • A partnership with shared technical and administrative roles
  • A larger, investor-backed model that pursues a Part 145 repair station certificate from the start

The best choice depends on your certifications, target jobs, capital, and whether you plan to hire at opening or later.

Define your startup scope in plain language.

Write down which aircraft types you will support and which services you will offer.

Then list the jobs you will decline until your facility, tools, and approvals support them.

Your service catalog may include:

  • Inspection services: routine inspections, discrepancy lists, and documentation support
  • Maintenance and repair: airframe and powerplant jobs within your ratings and experience, troubleshooting, part replacement, and corrective repairs
  • Documentation services: maintenance records and return-to-service documentation prepared under the applicable rules and signoff authority
  • Specialty services: limited avionics, sheet metal, interior, propeller, or accessory jobs, only with the correct capability, tools, and approvals
  • Mobile support: on-site maintenance or recovery support where airport and local access rules allow it

Match your service list to your legal authority, your facility, and the aircraft you plan to support.

Step 2: Prove Local Demand and Test Whether the Numbers Work

Prove local demand, and confirm the margin can pay you and cover overhead, before you commit to a shop.

Your first customers are usually local or regional aircraft owners and operators who need dependable service and clear communication.

Your customer base is specialized, so trust matters from the first job.

Your likely customers include:

  • Private aircraft owners who need inspections, repairs, and scheduled maintenance
  • Flight schools and clubs that need reliable scheduling and fast turnaround on training aircraft
  • Charter and commercial operators that need approved maintenance support within the rules and their operating requirements
  • Corporate flight departments that may outsource specific jobs
  • Other maintenance shops that subcontract specialty jobs

Talk to aircraft owners, flight schools, clubs, and operators in your area.

Ask what frustrates them about getting maintenance, such as scheduling delays, travel distance, specialty gaps, or poor communication.

Test whether your startup can solve one specific customer problem.

Next, build a profit model with your own numbers.

List these inputs:

  • Billable labor hours you can realistically secure
  • Your labor rate
  • How you will handle parts
  • Rent and utilities
  • Insurance and software
  • Tool calibration and compliance costs
  • Payroll, if you hire

Fixed costs such as hangar rent, insurance, and salaries continue whether or not the shop is full.

Your profit therefore depends on how many billable hours you sell and how consistently mechanics stay on customer jobs.

Test your numbers with break-even logic.

Break-even logic shows how many billable hours you must sell each month to cover fixed costs.

For a maintenance shop, treat one billable hour as your unit of sale.

Divide your monthly fixed costs by what each billable hour earns after variable costs.

Fixed costs include salaries, hangar rent, utilities, insurance, training, tooling, and inventory.

Use your own local costs and rates, and do not rely on another shop’s numbers.

If the numbers do not work on paper, change your scope before you sign a lease or buy tools.

Carry your break-even numbers into the Business Plan section below.

Step 3: Confirm Certifications, Staffing, and Skill Gaps

Before you take any aircraft job, confirm who holds the certificates and authorizations to perform it and approve it for return to service.

FAA rules limit what certificated mechanics may perform, supervise, and approve for return to service.

Those privileges tie back to ratings and experience.

An Inspection Authorization is a separate FAA authorization with its own eligibility rules.

Do not assume every mechanic can perform every inspection signoff you want to offer.

Verify each person’s credentials and scope before you promise a service to customers.

The FAA publishes an overview of the aviation mechanic path, which helps when you plan hiring or decide whether to earn the credentials yourself.

Compare the skills list in the fit section against your team.

Hire or outsource each gap, such as estimating, accounting, or documentation.

Part 145 requires an accountable manager and qualified personnel to plan, supervise, perform, and approve maintenance.

Part 145 also requires an FAA-approved training program with initial and recurrent training.

Those demands are why some owners start smaller and phase in a repair station later.

If you choose the repair station route, review the certification phases in the FAQ below and build your timeline around FAA approval.

Step 4: Set Up Your Business Name, Structure, and Registrations

Choose your business name and structure first, then handle your registrations and tax accounts in order.

Choose a clear, professional name that pilots and operators can remember.

Confirm the domain is available before you order signage or printed materials.

This guide on selecting a business name walks you through the naming process.

Plan your business structure before you sign a lease, a hangar agreement, or other major contracts.

A sole proprietorship does not separate your personal assets from business debts and liabilities.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) describes limited liability companies as a fit for medium- or higher-risk businesses.

Aircraft maintenance involves customers’ aircraft, signoff responsibility, tools, and often a lease, so liability exposure is real.

Ask an attorney and a tax professional to confirm the structure that fits your situation.

After choosing a structure, complete these registrations in order:

  • Entity registration, if applicable
  • An Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
  • State tax registrations
  • A state employer account for unemployment insurance, before you hire
  • Assumed name (DBA) registration, if you use a trade name

The IRS lets you get an EIN directly online for free.

Some states tax parts, labor, or shop supplies differently, so confirm what applies before your first invoice.

Ask your state revenue agency: do charges for labor, parts, shop supplies, and call-out service have different tax treatment?

Local licensing checks come after you choose a site in Step 6, because they depend on your address.

For a general checklist, see how to register a business.

If you are unsure which filings apply, a business attorney or accountant can help you avoid delays.

Step 5: Estimate Startup Costs and Line Up Funding

List every startup cost for your shop, then confirm you can fund them before you sign a lease or place large orders.

Build your worksheet by category, and use real vendor quotes instead of estimates from memory.

This guide on estimating startup costs helps you base your numbers on actual purchase and setup requirements.

Fill in quotes as you work through Steps 6 to 10.

Finalize the worksheet once your insurance and equipment quotes are in, and before you sign a lease.

Organize your costs into these groups:

  • One-time costs to open, such as registrations, equipment, tools, and facility setup
  • Monthly operating costs, such as rent, utilities, insurance, wages, calibration, and loan payments
  • Opening cash to cover expenses until revenue builds

Plan enough operating capital to pay monthly expenses until revenue covers them.

The SBA advises counting at least a year of monthly expenses when you estimate how much capital you need.

Add a cushion for costs you cannot predict.

Funding comes from self-funding, loans, investors, or a mix.

Lenders and loan programs have their own eligibility requirements.

SBA-guaranteed loans are available through approved lenders, and the SBA’s Lender Match tool can connect you with them.

For more on borrowing, see how to get a business loan.

Ask each lender or investor what documents they require before you apply.

The Business Plan section below pulls your costs, funding, pricing, and break-even numbers into one plan.

Step 6: Choose a Location and Confirm Zoning, Airport, and Local License Rules

Choose an aircraft maintenance site only after you confirm it can legally support your service scope and equipment.

Location affects your customers, your facility requirements, and whether you can legally perform the jobs you plan to offer.

Your location also determines which registrations, taxes, and permits apply, according to the SBA.

Airport leases, hangar rules, municipal zoning, and local building requirements can all shape what you can do at a site.

Part 145 requires housing and facilities consistent with your ratings and limitations.

Shop owners quoted in trade press say mechanics, not hangar space, usually limit how many jobs a shop can take.

Size your space with your staffing plan in mind.

Verify these items for each site before you sign:

  • Whether zoning allows aircraft maintenance at your address
  • Whether a certificate of occupancy is required
  • Airport authority lease terms, hangar-use limits, access badges, and site rules
  • General business license requirements from your city or county
  • Local environmental or wastewater controls for shop activities

Zoning, airport, and licensing rules vary by city, county, and airport, so confirm each one locally.

Search your city or county planning, zoning, and building departments, and ask the airport manager’s office for the tenant handbook or hangar lease requirements.

Ask each office: can I legally run my business at this exact address, and what approvals do I need before opening?

If you plan mobile service, check whether local permits cover jobs in public spaces or on airport ramps you do not control.

Search your city for a right-of-way permit, and ask the airport authority about ramp access permits.

Keep proof of every answer: save emails, portal screenshots, and the names of the people who confirmed each requirement.

Do not sign a lease until the site supports your scope and equipment, your insurance quotes are in, and your funding covers it.

Step 7: Plan Insurance and Risk Coverage

Get insurance quotes while you compare sites, and confirm coverage before you sign a lease or buy equipment.

Customers, airports, and landlords may require proof of coverage before you can begin jobs.

Start with general liability, then add coverage that fits your site, tools, and the aircraft you handle.

Ask an aviation insurance agent about:

  • General liability
  • Property and tool coverage
  • Hangarkeepers liability, which addresses damage to aircraft in your care, custody, or control
  • Environmental or pollution coverage, if your site or lease calls for it
  • Other aviation-related exposures at your site

Some airports set minimum insurance requirements by tenant type in their lease terms or minimum standards.

Do not assume your general liability policy covers customers’ aircraft; ask your agent whether hangarkeepers coverage is included or separate.

Workers’ compensation rules, employer coverage triggers, and other mandatory coverages vary by state, payroll size, and business activity.

Verify employer requirements with your state workers’ compensation agency before you hire.

This guide on business insurance can help you organize the conversation before you meet an agent.

Step 8: Build Your Equipment Plan

Build your equipment plan after your service scope is set, and buy tools around the exact jobs you will perform at opening.

Equipment needs change quickly if you add aircraft types, ratings, or specialty services.

Part 145 requires the equipment, tools, and materials necessary for the jobs you perform, plus control over those tools and materials.

A smaller shop should follow the same approach.

Separate must-have equipment from phase-two items.

Then get written quotes and lead times from tool vendors, calibration providers, software vendors, and facility suppliers.

Build three columns in your worksheet: needed at opening, needed later, and optional.

Facility and shop setup:

  • Hangar or shop space setup plan
  • Workbench stations and parts benches
  • Parts shelving and secure storage cabinets
  • Tool storage systems and shadow boards
  • Compressed air system, if your scope requires it
  • Lighting for inspection and task work
  • Electrical distribution and extension management
  • Waste storage area for used oil, filters, and regulated waste
  • Office area for records, estimates, invoicing, and customer communication

Core hand tools:

  • Aircraft maintenance hand tool sets
  • Torque wrenches in required ranges
  • Screwdrivers, pliers, cutters, and specialty hand tools
  • Ratchets, sockets, and wrenches in the sizes your scope uses
  • Safety wire pliers and safety wire supplies
  • Inspection mirrors and flashlights
  • Tool control tags and an accountability system

Inspection and measurement tools:

  • Precision measuring tools, such as calipers, micrometers, and gauges
  • Borescope, if your service scope requires it
  • Compression test equipment
  • Electrical test tools, such as a multimeter and related testers
  • Visual inspection aids and magnification tools
  • A calibration tracking system for tools that require calibration

Ground support and handling equipment:

  • Jacks and stands rated for the aircraft you support
  • Wheel chocks and tow bars, as needed
  • Ladders and access stands
  • Creepers and secure access equipment
  • Battery support and charging equipment, if applicable

Consumables and shop materials:

  • Approved cleaning materials and shop supplies
  • Lubricants and fluids used in your startup scope
  • Rags, absorbents, and spill response supplies
  • Labels and tags for parts and job control
  • Fasteners and common replacement hardware, matched to your scope

Records and documentation systems:

  • Work order templates
  • Inspection checklist templates
  • Maintenance record entry templates
  • Parts traceability and receiving logs
  • Customer estimate and approval forms
  • Invoice and payment system
  • Secure record storage, digital or physical

Safety and compliance equipment:

  • Personal protective equipment for your startup scope
  • Chemical labeling and hazard communication materials
  • A Safety Data Sheet access system
  • Fire extinguishers and emergency response supplies
  • Spill kits and waste handling containers
  • Eye wash or emergency wash equipment, if your chemical use calls for it

Technology and business systems:

  • Computer workstations and secure internet access
  • Shop phone system
  • Scheduling and job tracking software
  • Accounting and bookkeeping software
  • Document scanner and printer
  • Backup and file retention setup

Step 9: Set Up Chemical Safety, Waste Handling, and Hazmat Training

Set up chemical safety and waste handling before chemicals and fluids arrive at your shop.

Several federal rules may apply, depending on your site and activities.

Plan for these items:

  • Hazard communication: federal rules call for a written program, container labels, Safety Data Sheets, and employee training when employees are exposed to hazardous chemicals
  • Used oil and hazardous waste: generator rules, used oil management, and disposal or recycling procedures may apply once you accumulate regulated waste
  • Stormwater: industrial stormwater permitting may apply, depending on your site and activities
  • Hazmat training: a Part 145 repair station that meets the definition of a hazardous materials employer must have a training program that meets 49 CFR Part 172 Subpart H

Local rules can add wastewater or discharge controls, so check with your city or county environmental or public works department.

Ask your state environmental agency: which waste handling approvals apply to my startup activities at this location?

Handle these items before opening, not after.

Step 10: Set Pricing, Suppliers, and Maintenance Documentation

Set your maintenance pricing before you announce the business, so you are not quoting on the fly.

Define these pricing rules:

  • Labor rates
  • Diagnostic billing rules
  • Minimum charges
  • After-hours rates
  • Parts handling policy
  • Payment terms
  • When you require written approval and deposits for larger jobs

Some shops bill hourly, and others advertise flat-rate fees for set services such as annual inspections.

Shop owners say rates set too low make it hard to cover overhead and attract qualified mechanics.

Shop managers rank insurance, supplies, and test equipment calibration among their biggest overhead costs.

FAA guidance for Inspection Authorization holders advises itemizing each job for the owner.

The same guidance recommends agreeing on a cost or cost range and a time frame.

Open accounts with:

  • Parts distributors
  • Tooling vendors
  • Calibration providers
  • Hazardous waste vendors
  • Any specialty support services you need

FAA rules require maintenance records, so build your templates before the first job starts.

Use the records and documentation items in your equipment plan to create templates for work orders, approvals, customer signoff, and record retention.

Step 11: Prepare Customer Paperwork, Payments, and Brand Basics

Have your customer paperwork, payment system, and brand basics in place before your first customer calls.

Prepare these customer-facing items:

  • Customer authorization forms
  • Estimate approval language
  • Invoicing and payment processing
  • A process for separating requested jobs from issues you discover
  • Service-call terms and location access requirements, if you plan mobile service

Build proof assets that show you are organized:

  • Technician credential summaries
  • Insurance certificates
  • A service capability list
  • Sample documentation forms
  • A clean onboarding process for customers

Customers in this field look for trust, clarity, and signs that you are organized.

You do not need flashy branding, but you do need professional basics.

Before opening, prepare:

  • A logo
  • Business cards
  • Shop signage, if applicable
  • A website
  • A short capability summary stating the jobs you do and do not do

If design is not your skill, hire a professional for this step.

Make it easy for customers to contact you, understand your service scope, and submit service requests.

Keep your wording simple and accurate.

Step 12: Run Your Pre-Opening Checklist and Open

Confirm that every item below is complete before you take your first job, even if the shop looks almost ready.

Your pre-opening checklist:

  • Business registration, EIN, state tax setup, and employer accounts are complete
  • Zoning, certificate of occupancy, local license, and airport lease terms are confirmed
  • Your FAA status matches your plan, and your timeline reflects only what is approved
  • Insurance policies are active, and certificates are on hand
  • Tools are organized, calibrated where required, and tracked
  • Records templates, work orders, and approval forms are ready
  • Chemical safety, labeling, and waste handling are in place
  • Supplier accounts are open
  • Payment processing and invoicing are tested
  • Workers’ compensation requirements are verified, if you plan to hire

If you are working through FAA certification items, confirm your status with the appropriate FAA office.

If you change your location, services, or staffing, review these requirements again.

When your checklist is complete, contact the customers you identified in Step 2 and introduce your service scope.

Schedule jobs you can complete correctly.

A paced opening builds trust faster than taking every job at once.

Business Plan

Draft your business plan as you complete the earlier steps.

Finish the plan once your costs, funding, pricing, and break-even inputs are in place.

If you want a template, review this guide on how to write a business plan.

Include these parts in your maintenance shop plan:

  • Service scope and the aircraft you will support
  • Target customers and projected job volume
  • Startup timeline and facility plan
  • Legal and certification path
  • Risk items, including insurance and liability
  • Your cost worksheet and funding plan
  • Pricing and break-even logic
  • Goals for your first 90 days after opening

Add the break-even numbers from Step 2 to your plan.

A new business can lose money in its first months, so plan operating capital for the period before revenue covers your costs.

Lenders and investors may ask for specific documents, so confirm each one’s requirements before you finalize the plan.

Opening-Day Red Flags

These red flags signal that your shop is not ready to open, so resolve them before you take a customer’s aircraft.

  • You are signing a lease before confirming zoning, airport rules, or facility fit.
  • You are buying tools before finalizing your service scope.
  • You have no written templates for work orders, approvals, and maintenance records.
  • You have no plan for hazardous waste, used oil, or chemical safety.
  • Your insurance certificates are not yet active.
  • You are underestimating the time approvals, setup, and compliance take.

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions cover situations the steps above leave open for aircraft maintenance startups.

Do I need an Inspection Authorization to start an aircraft maintenance business?

Not necessarily, because it depends on the services you plan to offer.

An Inspection Authorization (IA) is a separate FAA authorization held by some A&P mechanics.

The FAA says a holder may perform annual inspections and approve major repairs and major alterations for return to service.

If you do not hold one, decide whether to employ an IA holder or leave those services out of your scope.

Confirm the details with your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).

Can I own an aircraft maintenance business if I am not a certificated mechanic?

Usually only if certificated mechanics perform and approve the maintenance.

The FAA requires maintenance by a certified mechanic with appropriate ratings or authorizations, or by someone under that mechanic’s supervision.

A repair station must also designate an accountable manager and provide qualified personnel to plan, supervise, perform, and approve maintenance.

Build your service scope around the authority of the people you employ, not around ownership.

What are the stages of FAA repair station certification?

The FAA process has five phases.

Those phases are preapplication, formal application, document compliance, demonstration and inspection, and certification.

The process provides for interaction between you and the FAA from your first inquiry to certificate issuance.

Direct questions about the process to your nearest FSDO.

Owner and Industry Interviews

These interviews let you hear founders and aviation maintenance professionals describe how they started and built their companies.

Jim Freeman, Founder of Helicopter Specialties

Jim Freeman, an A&P and pilot, is the founder and owner of Helicopter Specialties, a helicopter maintenance and completions center.

In this interview, he discusses starting a business and the ups and downs owners face, which helps you set realistic expectations.

Listen to the Interview

Jerel Bristol, Founder of S.E.A.L. Aviation

Jerel Bristol is a veteran and A&P mechanic who founded S.E.A.L. Aviation, a fuel tank and structural repair company.

The interview covers how his company grew and added specialized services such as nondestructive testing, which shows one way a technical founder can expand.

Listen to the Interview

Jon Haag, Founder of Haag Aviation Services

Jon Haag founded Haag Aviation Services LLC and began his career as a mechanic straight out of A&P school.

He formed his own consulting company after his corporate employer dissolved its aviation department, so his story shows one route to ownership.

Listen to the Interview

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