During my time as the Director of Maintenance for Keystone Aviation, adding aircraft to our 135 charter certificate was oftentimes a frustrating and protracted exercise. When I became aware of the efforts to create an Advisory Circular (“AC”) that would help in the onboarding of aircraft to a part 135 operation, I was fully supportive–confident this would help us add aircraft to our certificate and eager to see how well this tool would improve the onboarding process.

Prior to the release of AC 135-44, “Part 135 Operator Aircraft Configuration Inspection,” the lack of consistency both in the process itself and with the information requested by the local FAA office added to the frustration. The requirements seemed to change with each new inspector or manager and it would typically take months to get an aircraft added.

The AC provided a standard that both was desperately needed and also acceptable to the FAA Administrator, resulting in a smoother, more streamlined onboarding process. We were able to add aircraft significantly faster, the inspectors were satisfied with the depth of the information collected, and they appeared more comfortable working with us throughout the entire process. It also allowed us to organize and divide specific tasks among various team members.

As an added benefit, we realized that following the process and completing the information packet as described in the AC yielded a great deal of useful operational and aircraft information. This collection of information has proven helpful in other aspects of the business and conveniently available in one location. When a question arises from an industry auditor or the FAA, we can quickly locate the answer and provide supporting documentation. It has become a very useful tool for us, and we are appreciative of the NATA Maintenance Committee’s months of hard work and collaborative effort with the FAA to develop and publish the AC.

I recommend the use of AC 135-44 to anyone who is growing their 135 aircraft fleet. We are now able to expedite the completion of these projects by adding aircraft more smoothly and consistently to our certificate with improved interaction with FAA personnel.