Establish the governing baseline

For each aircraft, identify:

• Certificate holder.
• Registration, serial number, and configuration.
• Passenger seating configuration.
• Operations specifications.
• Applicable maintenance and inspection program.
• General Maintenance Manual and procedures where applicable.
• Manufacturer and operator program revisions.
• Minimum equipment and deferred-maintenance procedures.
• AD, airworthiness limitation, and life-limit controls.
• Approved Aircraft Inspection Program or continuous program as applicable.

The software configuration should point to the controlling approval or procedure. “Vendor standard program” is not a sufficient source.

Aircraft conformity and onboarding

Before an aircraft enters Part 135 service, reconcile:

• Registration and airworthiness documents.
• Installed configuration and equipment.
• Weight and balance.
• Flight-manual and supplement set.
• Maintenance and inspection history.
• Current AD status.
• Time and cycle-limited component records.
• Required overhaul and replacement status.
• Repairs, alterations, and STCs.
• Emergency and operational equipment.
• Open discrepancies.

The FAA’s certification material describes a conformity check and stresses complete records for time- or cycle-limited components. Treat onboarding as a controlled audit, not a bulk data import.

Requirement library and revision control

The tracking system should control:

• Task identifier and source.
• Aircraft or component applicability.
• Threshold and repeat interval.
• Calendar, flight-hour, cycle, landing, start, or event basis.
• Tolerance or escalation authority.
• Program revision.
• Effectivity date.
• Prior credit.
• Last accomplishment and next due.
• Source work package.

When the program changes, show which aircraft and tasks are affected, whether prior credit applies, who approved the transition, and how due dates changed.

Utilization and forecasting

Part 135 fleets can accumulate utilization quickly and unevenly. Integrate:

• Flight hours.
• Cycles or landings.
• Engine and APU starts.
• Calendar.
• Operational events.
• Aircraft swaps and substitutions.

Monitor data latency and reconciliation. A forecast built on utilization that arrives days late may look accurate while the aircraft crosses a limit.

Forecast at several horizons:

• Immediate due and overdue.
• Next operational day.
• Seven, 30, 60, and 90 days.
• Major-event and seasonal plan.
• Fleet capacity after scheduled downtime.

AD, component, and life-limit controls

Use dedicated workflows for:

• Airworthiness Directive applicability and recurrence.
• Serialized component identity and installation.
• Life-limited-part traceability.
• Overhaul, replacement, and inspection limits.
• Engine, APU, propeller, and landing-gear status.
• Service bulletin and engineering-order effectivity.

Do not reduce each control to one due date. Preserve applicability, compliance method, utilization basis, and source.

Work planning and execution

The tracker should connect a requirement to:

1. Planned work scope.
2. Maintenance provider and authorization.
3. Required parts, tooling, data, and access.
4. Scheduled downtime.
5. Task cards and findings.
6. Corrective action.
7. Approval for return to service.
8. Records acceptance.
9. Updated next due.

The task is not complete when maintenance says the aircraft is ready. It is complete when the operator has accepted the required record and updated status.

Deferred and open-item control

Manage distinct categories:

• Deferred maintenance under the applicable approved process.
• Nonessential furnishing or cosmetic items.
• Inspection findings awaiting engineering.
• Parts on order.
• Records missing after completed work.
• Tracking or configuration discrepancies.
• Repeat defects and reliability signals.

Each item needs authority, opening date, limit, operational restriction, owner, corrective plan, and closure evidence.

Records and audit readiness

Connect every completed requirement to:

• Maintenance entry or airworthiness release.
• Work order and task cards.
• Findings and corrective actions.
• Parts and release documents.
• Inspection results and measurements.
• Approved data.
• AD or service information.
• Signatures and certificate details.

The aircraft maintenance records guide explains common record content and retention foundations. Operators must apply the rules and approved procedures specific to their operation.

Roles and permissions

Separate:

• Program administration.
• Applicability decisions.
• Planning.
• Work execution.
• Records acceptance.
• Status approval.
• Read-only operational access.
• Auditor or regulator access.

Log every configuration, threshold, accomplishment, and status change. High-risk changes should require review by another authorized person.

Management dashboard

Useful controls include:

• Aircraft due before next planned flight.
• Overdue and near-due requirements.
• Utilization-feed delays.
• Completed work awaiting records.
• Unreviewed ADs or program revisions.
• Deferred items by remaining limit.
• Repeat defects.
• Major events and fleet downtime.
• Records exceptions.
• Vendor turnaround.

Show the source behind the status, not only red, yellow, and green indicators.

Vendor demonstration checklist

Use real operator cases:

• Aircraft joining the certificate.
• Program revision with new tasks.
• Fast utilization crossing a threshold.
• Recurring AD with a terminating action.
• Component change between two tails.
• Deferred item approaching limit.
• Completed work with missing records.
• Aircraft removed from and returned to service.
• Fleet forecast after a schedule change.
• Full audit history and export.

Sources and further reading

• FAA Part 135 certification
• FAA Part 135 general requirements
• 14 CFR part 135
• FAA AC 135-44
• Radar maintenance tracking software guide