Understanding Aircraft Management

An aircraft record is not only a registration in the system. It is the central record that connects the aircraft to its model, components, work orders, defects, maintenance status, compliance tracking, hours, cycles, documents, and operational history.

Before you start planning maintenance, importing components, or tracking airworthiness, the aircraft structure should be created and validated.

What Aircraft Management is used for

Aircraft Management helps you manage the aircraft that are maintained, monitored, or planned in FlightLogger Maintenance.

Aircraft records are used when you:

• create work orders
• create work packages
• track defects
• track components
• monitor maintenance requirements
• view maintenance status
• review compliance
• manage hours and cycles
• review aircraft documents
• export component data
• connect imported or synced FlightLogger data to maintenance planning

Because many workflows depend on the aircraft record, aircraft setup should be completed early in the implementation process.

The aircraft record

The aircraft record represents one individual aircraft.

An aircraft can include information such as:

• registration
• aircraft model
• serial number
• status
• location
• notes
• empty weight
• mass unit
• profile image
• hours and cycles data
• related flight logs

The registration must be unique within the account. This is important because the aircraft registration is used throughout the maintenance system to identify the aircraft.

Aircraft status

An aircraft can have a status such as:

• In Service
• Maintenance
• Out of Service

The status helps users understand whether the aircraft is currently available, undergoing maintenance, or unavailable for operation.

Aircraft status can also be used by dashboards, planning views, and integrations to show the current operational state of the aircraft.

Aircraft models

An aircraft can be linked to an aircraft model.

The aircraft model represents the type or model of aircraft, such as a specific manufacturer and model family. The model can be used to group aircraft that share maintenance requirements, specifications, and compatible inventory items.

Aircraft models can include:

• name
• manufacturer
• model number
• description
• specifications
• external sync identifiers
• model-level maintenance requirements
• compatible inventory items

When an aircraft is linked to an aircraft model, FlightLogger Maintenance can use model-level data to support planning and maintenance requirement logic.

Aircraft vs aircraft model

It is important to understand the difference between an aircraft and an aircraft model.

An aircraft is one physical aircraft in your fleet.

An aircraft model describes the type or model that one or more aircraft may belong to.

For example:

• Aircraft model: Cessna 172
• Aircraft: OY-ABC

The model can define shared information. The aircraft record contains the actual aircraft-specific information.

Components

Aircraft can have components installed on them.

A component may represent a physical part, assembly, or tracked installation position. Components can also be installed on other components, which allows you to build a component hierarchy.

For example:

• an engine can be installed on an aircraft
• a sub-component can be installed on the engine
• a serialized item can be linked to a component
• a removed component can be moved to stock or workshop

Components help FlightLogger Maintenance understand what is currently installed, what has been removed, and how the aircraft configuration changes over time.

Installed component structure

Components can be placed in different ways.

A component can be:

• installed on an aircraft
• installed on another component
• on stock
• at workshop
• approved or sent on

When a component is installed, FlightLogger Maintenance can record installation information such as position and ATA position.

This helps build the aircraft’s technical and maintenance structure.

Hours and cycles

Aircraft can store hours and cycles data.

Hours and cycles are important because many maintenance requirements depend on usage.

FlightLogger Maintenance can use aircraft logs and hours/cycles entries to support due calculations, maintenance status, and planning.

Depending on the setup, aircraft usage data may come from:

• FlightLogger sync
• manual entry
• mixed sources

The aircraft record provides access to current hours, current cycles, last flight date, and related log information.

Maintenance status

The aircraft record is connected to maintenance status.

From the aircraft view, users can access maintenance-related information such as:

• next service
• due items
• overdue items
• maintenance warnings
• maintenance requirements
• deferred defects
• completed maintenance history

This makes the aircraft page a central place for understanding what maintenance attention the aircraft needs.

Work orders and work packages

Aircraft are linked to work orders and work packages.

A work order is typically used to manage specific maintenance work. A work package can group maintenance tasks and work orders into a larger planning or execution context.

Because work orders and work packages are linked to aircraft, the aircraft record becomes a natural entry point for reviewing current and historical maintenance activity.

Defects

Defects are also linked to aircraft.

A defect can represent an issue reported from operation, inspection, or maintenance activity. Defects may later be deferred, rectified, closed, or linked to work orders depending on the workflow.

Aircraft Management helps users see defects in the context of the affected aircraft.

Compliance

Aircraft records are connected to compliance tracking.

This can include:

• airworthiness directives
• service bulletins
• service letters
• compliance history
• completed requirement events

The aircraft compliance view helps users understand which regulatory or technical requirements apply to the aircraft and what has been completed.

Aircraft documents

Aircraft can also have related documents.

Aircraft documents may be used to store supporting records, technical information, or files that are relevant to the aircraft.

Document handling should be kept consistent with your organisation’s technical records and compliance process.

Search and filtering

The aircraft list can be searched and filtered.

Users can search by aircraft-related text, and the list can be filtered by values such as status or aircraft model.

This helps larger organisations find the correct aircraft quickly.

Why aircraft setup should happen early

Aircraft records should be created and reviewed early because many other workflows depend on them.

Before continuing with maintenance planning, make sure:

• aircraft registrations are correct
• aircraft models are created and linked where relevant
• aircraft status is correct
• aircraft serial numbers are correct
• locations are meaningful
• hours and cycles setup is understood
• components are ready to be created or linked
• compliance data can be connected to the correct aircraft

Correct aircraft setup reduces errors later in work orders, defect handling, compliance tracking, and maintenance planning.

Best practice

Use Aircraft Management as the starting point for maintenance structure.

A good setup process is usually:

1. Create or sync aircraft models.
2. Create or sync aircraft.
3. Validate aircraft registration and serial number.
4. Link each aircraft to the correct aircraft model.
5. Confirm status and location.
6. Configure or validate hours and cycles.
7. Add or import component-related inventory data.
8. Create and install components.
9. Review maintenance status.
10. Review compliance and technical records.

This sequence helps ensure that later maintenance workflows are built on reliable aircraft data.

Summary

Aircraft Management connects the aircraft to the rest of FlightLogger Maintenance.

The aircraft record links together aircraft models, components, work orders, defects, maintenance status, compliance, documents, and hours/cycles data.

A well-structured aircraft setup makes maintenance planning easier, improves traceability, and gives users a clearer view of each aircraft’s current maintenance position.