Airports | Don McAlhany

Every year, or sooner depending on the aircraft and its use, aircraft owners are required to have their airplane inspected during what is called the “annual”. An annual Inspection is a complete inspection of an aircraft and engine, required by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), to be accomplished every 12 calendar months on all certificated aircraft. Only an Airframe and Power Plant (A&P) technician holding an Inspection Authorization (IA) can conduct an annual inspection.

Inspection requirements differ with the various uses of aircraft. For example, aircraft being used for compensation or hire must have a thorough inspection every one-hundred hours. Most aircraft, including those used for compensation or hire are required to have a complete inspection every year.
This year I flew in to the Michigan City Airport (KMGC) to leave my Cessna 150C for its annual and took advantage of my fly buddy Dave’s offer to attend the “Friday Fly In” at the Laporte Indiana airport (KPPO) and a return flight to Benton Harbor (KBEH).

As this was the last weekend of the skydiving season at Skydive Windy City here at the airport I took advantage of that and took a few pictures of tandems jumping in the cooler weather and then took a few pictures of the woodland color changes on the way to Laporte. After a great lunch at the Laporte Fixed Base Operator (FBO) building Mr. Dave let me fly his airplane back to Benton Harbor and dropped me off.

For general information, a FBO is the primary provider of support services to general aviation operators at a public-use airport and is located either on airport leasehold property or adjacent to airport leasehold property. In many smaller airports serving general aviation in remote or modest communities, the town itself may provide fuel services and operate a basic FBO facility. Most FBOs doing business at airports of high to moderate traffic volume are non-governmental organizations, i.e., either privately or publicly held companies.