View all text of Subpart C [§ 171.41 - § 171.53]
§ 171.51 - Maintenance and operations requirements.
(a) The owner of the facility must establish an adequate maintenance system and provide qualified maintenance personnel to maintain the facility at the level attained at the time it was commissioned. Each person who maintains a facility must meet at least the Federal Communications Commission's licensing requirements and show that he has the special knowledge and skills needed to maintain the facility including proficiency in maintenance procedures and the use of specialized test equipment.
(b) The owner must prepare, and obtain approval of, an operations and maintenance manual that sets forth mandatory procedures for operations, preventive maintenance, and emergency maintenance, including instructions on each of the following:
(1) Physical security of the facility.
(2) Maintenance and operations by authorized persons only.
(3) FCC licensing requirements for operating and maintenance personnel.
(4) Posting of licenses and signs.
(5) Relation between the facility and FAA air traffic control facilities, with a description of the boundaries of controlled airspace over or near the facility, instructions for relaying air traffic control instructions and information (if applicable), and instructions for the operations of an air traffic advisory service if the facility is located outside of controlled airspace.
(6) Notice to the Administrator of any suspension of service.
(7) Detailed and specific maintenance procedures and servicing guides stating the frequency of servicing.
(8) Air-ground communications, if provided, expressly written or incorporating appropriate sections of FAA manuals by reference.
(9) Keeping of station logs and other technical reports, and the submission of reports required by § 171.53.
(10) Monitoring of the facility.
(11) Inspections by United States personnel.
(12) Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of persons to be notified in an emergency.
(13) Shutdowns for routine maintenance and issue of “Notices to Airmen” for routine or emergency shutdowns (private use facilities may omit the “Notices to Airmen”).
(14) Commissioning of the facility.
(15) An acceptable procedure for amending or revising the manual.
(16) An explanation of the kinds of activities (such as construction or grading) in the vicinity of the facility that may require shutdown or recertification of the facility by FAA flight check.
(17) Procedures for conducting a ground check or localizer course alignment width, and clearance, and glide slope elevation angle and width.
(18) The following information concerning the facility:
(i) Facility component locations with respect to airport layout, instrument runway, and similar areas.
(ii) The type, make, and model of the basic radio equipment that will provide the service.
(iii) The station power emission and frequencies of the localizer, glide slope, markers, and associated compass locators, if any.
(iv) The hours of operation.
(v) Station identification call letters and method of station identification and the time spacing of the identification.
(vi) A description of the critical parts that may not be changed, adjusted, or repaired without an FAA flight check to confirm published operations.
(c) The owner shall make a ground check of the facility each month in accordance with procedures approved by the FAA at the time of commissioning, and shall report the results of the checks as provided in § 171.53.
(d) If the owner desires to modify the facility, he must submit the proposal to the FAA and may not allow any modifications to be made without specific approval.
(e) “The owner's maintenance personnel must participate in initial inspections made by the FAA. In the case of subsequent inspections, the owner or his representative shall participate.”
(f) Whenever it is required by the FAA, the owner shall incorporate improvements in ILS maintenance brought about by progress in the state of the art. In addition, he shall provide a stock of spare parts, including vacuum tubes, of such a quantity to make possible the prompt replacement of components that fail or deteriorate in service.
(g) The owner shall provide FAA approved test instruments needed for maintenance of the facility.
(h) The owner shall close the facility upon receiving two successive pilot reports of its malfunctioning.