What must be aboard, what must be current, and who decides the aircraft is legal to fly.
By the end of this lesson you can:
List the documents that must be aboard the aircraft (ARROW).
State the inspections that keep a helicopter airworthy.
Explain Airworthiness Directives (ADs) and who must comply.
Identify who is responsible for determining airworthiness before each flight.
1 · ARROW — documents aboard the aircraft
Letter
Document
Note
A
Airworthiness Certificate
Displayed in the cockpit; valid while inspections/ADs are current (FAR 91.203).
R
Registration Certificate
Current FAA registration.
R
Radio Station License
Only required for international operations.
O
Operating limitations / POH & placards
FAR 91.9 — the approved flight manual / markings.
W
Weight & Balance data
Current W&B must be aboard.
2 · Watch: the required documents
Curated reference clip — “The 5 Required Aircraft Documents A.R.R.O.W. — For Student Pilots,” Part Time Pilot (YouTube).
3 · Inspections that keep it airworthy
Inspection
Interval
Reg
Annual
Every 12 calendar months
91.409(a)
100-hour
Every 100 hrs when carrying persons for hire or for flight instruction for hire
91.409(b)
Transponder
Every 24 calendar months
91.413
ELT
Every 12 calendar months; battery rules
91.207
Pitot-static / altimeter (IFR)
Every 24 calendar months
91.411
Robinson-specific: the R44 also carries manufacturer life limits and the 12-year / 2,200-hour overhaul, plus SFAR 73 currency — confirm current intervals against the R44 maintenance manual / your A&P-IA (Brian Strange).
4 · Airworthiness Directives (ADs) & pilot responsibility
ADs (14 CFR Part 39) are mandatory. The owner/operator must ensure compliance; the logbooks show it. As PIC, you are responsible under FAR 91.7 for determining the aircraft is in condition for safe flight, and you must discontinue a flight if an unairworthy condition appears. FAR 91.403 places primary maintenance responsibility on the owner/operator.
Your aircraft: the R44 POH/Maintenance Manual and N668SA’s logbooks (kept with Richmor Aviation / Brian Strange, A&P-IA) show the current inspection and AD status.
✍️ Fill in for the aircraft you fly (N-________)
Value / limit:
R44 POH section & page:
Leave blank until you look it up in your R44 POH (see the reference above) and confirm it with your CFI. Aircraft-specific numbers vary with weight & conditions — don’t guess.
Risk management (the “Consider”): “someone else signed it off” is not a defense. Before every flight, you personally confirm the documents are aboard, the inspections are current, and nothing in the logbooks or your walk-around says the aircraft isn’t ready.