ARC renewal checklist for EASA piston aircraft.

Practical workflow guide for owner-pilots of EASA-registered piston-single aircraft under Part-ML. Not regulatory or operational guidance. Verify against your aircraft’s actual maintenance organisation arrangements and the AESA / EASA / national-NAA guidance applicable to your registration.

The Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) is your annual proof that the aircraft remains continuously airworthy. Under Part-ML for the typical owner-pilot piston single, the ARC cycle drives much of the year’s documentation cadence. This guide is the workflow that consistently produces a successful renewal.

What the ARC is and who can issue it

The ARC is a one-year certificate confirming, on the issue date, that the aircraft meets the continuing-airworthiness requirements of Part-ML and the applicable type design. It is the airworthiness equivalent of a roadworthiness certificate — a snapshot judgment by an authorised reviewer that the aircraft is safe to operate.

Who can issue or extend an ARC under Part-ML for a self-managed aircraft:

A Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) with appropriate scope.
A Combined Airworthiness Organisation (CAO) — the smaller-scope CAMO equivalent for the lighter end of GA.
The National Aviation Authority directly, in some Member States.
An Independent Certifying Staff member, where national rules permit and within their scope.

For owner-pilots in Spain, the practical default is a CAMO/CAO with experience in Part-ML self-managed aircraft. AESA can issue directly in some cases. The institutional split varies by Member State; ask around your local pilot community before booking.

The 90-day window before expiry

The ARC is valid for one year from issue. The 90-day window before expiry is when you need to be moving — booking the inspector, gathering the documents, planning around availability. Inspectors are busy in spring and autumn; if your ARC expires in May or October, book in February or July.

The window matters because if the ARC lapses, the aircraft is grounded until a new one is issued. There is no grace period. Some renewals are extensions based on a satisfactory in-service review (faster, less invasive); others are full physical-plus-document reviews (slower, more thorough). Which path applies depends on your operation and the inspector’s judgment.

Airworth Hangar surfaces the ARC date on the dashboard. You see it as a date, not as a generic “review your aircraft,” and the 90-day window is your trigger.

CAMO / CAO vs Part-ML self-managed

Part-ML allows for a self-managed aircraft (no CAMO/CAO contract) where the owner takes responsibility for the AMP, the AD compliance, the maintenance recordkeeping, and the ARC arrangement. The ARC itself is still issued by an authorised person — the self-management refers to the day-to-day continuing airworthiness, not to the act of certification.

Self-managed. You declare the AMP, you track the maintenance, you arrange the ARC review with whoever can issue it. Less institutional cost; more individual responsibility. Suits owner-pilots who are organised and willing to engage with the regulation directly.

CAMO/CAO contract. The CAMO/CAO owns the AMP, tracks AD compliance, plans the maintenance, and issues the ARC. More institutional cost; less individual responsibility. Suits owner-pilots who would rather pay a bill once a year and have someone else hold the paperwork accountability.

Both are valid; both produce the same ARC. The decision is about your appetite for paperwork, not about regulatory status.

Documents the inspector will request

The exact list varies by inspector, but the credible default for an EASA piston-single ARC review:

The current AMP (declared or approved).
The aircraft, engine, and propeller logbooks (or PDF equivalents).
The maintenance records since the last ARC: work orders, parts certifications, certifying signatures.
The AD compliance status — the current applicable AD list with method of compliance, date and hours per AD.
The mass and balance statement (current; weighed within validity).
The aircraft equipment list (current).
The insurance certificate (current and valid).
The aircraft registration (current).
Any modifications since last ARC, with the supporting STC paperwork.
The pilot-owner maintenance log (the cumulative record of pilot-owner work since last ARC).

For shared ownership, the airworthiness lead is the person who walks the inspector through this. Hangar’s document vault tags everything by doc-type taxonomy so the inspector can be shown a particular document quickly.

Common findings and how to fix them

The findings that come up at ARC review and what to do about them:

“Component time tracking is unclear.” Usually means the spreadsheet you’ve been using doesn’t reconcile cleanly against the airframe hours. Fix by moving to append-only shared state with one source of truth (a software ledger or a single physical book) before the next review.

“AD X compliance status not documented.” Usually means an AD was complied with but the record is in a paper file the inspector can’t find quickly. Fix by attaching the compliance evidence (signed work order, certifying release) to the AD record in your system.

“Maintenance entry missing certifying signature.” A pilot-owner maintenance task got logged but the pilot-owner forgot to sign. Sign retrospectively with a dated note explaining the late signature; some inspectors accept, some require a re-do.

“AMP not aligned with current operation.” The AMP says the aircraft does 50 hours/year; you’ve actually been doing 200. The maintenance intervals based on hours may have been understated. Update the AMP for the next cycle.

“Equipment list out of date.” A new transponder went in last year and the equipment list still shows the old one. Update the list and reissue.

“Mass and balance out of validity.” Mass and balance has a validity (typically 5 years). If it’s expired or about to expire, schedule a re-weigh before the ARC.

For the AD-side discipline that prevents most of these, see AD compliance tracking for owner-pilots.

After issuance: validity, transfer on sale

The ARC is valid for one year from issue. Mark the next-due date in your system the day you receive it.

If you sell the aircraft within the ARC’s validity, the ARC transfers with the aircraft to the new owner. The new owner takes on the obligation to maintain continuing airworthiness from that point forward; the ARC’s expiry date doesn’t change.

If you buy an aircraft, do not rely on a stale ARC as proof the aircraft is currently airworthy. The ARC is a point-in-time judgment; a year later, with the aircraft potentially in different hands and a different operating environment, the same airframe could be in a very different condition. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent qualified person, in addition to the existing ARC, is standard.

The checklist (downloadable PDF)

A printable version of the renewal workflow:

90 days before: book the inspector. Confirm CAMO/CAO arrangement. Schedule any maintenance that needs to be done before the review.

60 days before: AMP review. Ensure the AMP reflects the actual operation. Update if needed.

30 days before: document gather. Pull the items the inspector will request (see list above). Verify each is current and accessible.

14 days before: AD compliance audit. Cross-check your AD compliance status against the current EASA AD-Tool list for the type. Resolve any gaps.

7 days before: maintenance verification. Walk through the airframe with the inspector’s likely scrutiny in mind — placards legible, equipment installed matching the equipment list, no obvious unrecorded modifications.

Day of: be available. Bring the documents physically (or have them open in Hangar). Walk the inspector through the airframe and the records.

After issuance: mark the next-due date. Update your system. Communicate to co-owners.

For the wider Part-ML context this guide sits inside, see Part-ML compliance for owner-pilots. For Airworth Hangar’s ARC date surface and document vault.