MELs

Aircraft Minimum Equipment List

Aviation Info Tech will create your Aircrafts Operation Manual including a bespoke Minimum Equipment List (MEL) to help meet your aircrafts requirements

Aviation Info Tech is a company that provides customized aircraft operations manuals for both commercial and private aircraft operators. As part of their service, they can create a bespoke Minimum Equipment List (MEL) to help meet the specific requirements of an operator’s aircraft.

A Minimum Equipment List (MEL) is a document that identifies the minimum equipment required for a specific aircraft to operate safely. It outlines the procedures to be followed in the event of equipment failures or malfunctions, and provides guidance on how to operate the aircraft with limited equipment.

Aviation Info Tech works closely with their clients to understand the specific requirements of their aircraft and creates a customized MEL that is tailored to their unique needs. The MEL is designed to help the operator operate the aircraft safely and efficiently, while meeting all applicable regulations and guidelines.

In addition to the MEL, Aviation Info Tech’s customized aircraft operations manuals cover all aspects of aircraft operations, including pre-flight planning, flight operations, maintenance, and safety management. They are designed to be easy to understand and follow, with clear guidance on how to operate the aircraft safely and efficiently.

Aviation Info Tech also offers ongoing support and updates to ensure that the manuals and MEL remain up-to-date with any changes in regulations or best practices. This helps operators to stay informed and compliant with the latest requirements.

Overall, Aviation Info Tech provides a valuable service to aircraft operators by creating customized operations manuals and MELs that help them operate their aircraft safely and efficiently, while meeting all applicable regulations and guidelines.

The minimum equipment list is governed and approved by the operator’s national airworthiness authorities

To obtain an Approval for an MEL:

The MEL must follow the applicable Master MEL; Transport Canada’s for aeroplanes with a Type-Certificate Data Sheet, EASA for an EASA TCDS and FAA for an FAA TC. The easiest way to determine which MMEL is relevant is to verify what is listed on the valid Certificate of Airworthiness.
Where an MMEL item in the Exceptions or Remarks columns contains an entry such as “in accordance with regulations” or “in accordance with FARs” the interpretation of the regulation must first be based upon the rules of the regulatory agency on whose register the aeroplane is registered: FARs for N-reg, the AN(OT)O for VP-B and -C registered. In addition, if your aeroplane is on the Isle of Man Aircraft Register, you must follow their Registry Publications RP4 and RP 71. You may also need to ensure that the MMEL’s dispatch rewumwnts or no less restrictive that the State of aircraft registry’s rules and/or guidance material.
The MEL must contain suitable MEL Definitions and Preamble, using the appropriate MMEL as the source. The Definitions and Preamble must be customized for each operator as appropriate for their individual operating policy and procedures.
It must include a List of Effective Pages or Control Pages.
It must state the name and revision number of the MMEL on which it is based. This information must be amended each time the MEL is reviewed after a MMEL revision.
The operator’s MEL must reflect the aeroplane’s equipment, both in type and quantity, where the available relief differs depending upon modification status, service bulletin accomplishment, aircraft model/series or serial number applicability. The relief must either be included in the MEL if applicable or not mentioned if not applicable.
Dashes in the MMEL’s “Numbers Installed” and “Numbers Required for Dispatch” must be converted to the actual quantity. If the MEL covers more than one aeroplane of the same type and Number Installed differ, the aeroplane’s registrations must be entered alongside the applicable quantities.
The *** symbol for optional equipment must be not present in the MEL. The MEL must be tailored. Optional equipment must either be included in the MEL if present or not mentioned if not present.
The MMEL’s ATA alphanumeric numbering scheme should be used, even if the resulting list is not continuous. For example, if the MMEL contains ATA Items XX-1, XX-2, XX-3 and XX-4 and the operator does not have items XX-2 and XX-3, the second item in the MEL should still use the number XX-4. The rule applies similarly to sub-items a), b) etc.
Operator’s may use customized MEL item numbering schemes provided they adhere to the basic ATA chapter assignment (i.e., ATA 21 – Air Conditioning, ATA 22 – Auto Flight, etc) and a unique number is assigned to MEL items and sub-items.
Dispatch Deviation Guides, such as produced by Boeing, Bombardier, Gulfstream and others, may not be used as a standalone unedited documents as a substitute for including (O) and (M) information in the MEL. The manufacturer’s procedures (DDG, DDPG, DDPM, MPM, MOPP etc) must be used as a guide to produce appropriate (M) and (O) procedures in the operators MEL.
Operating and Maintenance procedures must be included in the operator’s MEL. DDG entries such as “in accordance with regulations” and “a procedure must be in place” and “alternate procedures must be established and used” must be fully explained or if covered in another manual carried on the aeroplane be fully referenced. The MEL reviewer will require sight of the reference document.
The practice of writing a separate (O) and (M) procedures document is not recommended. If this method is used, however, the MEL must include instructions as to where the required (M) and (O) procedures may be found.
Some MMEL’s use an (M#) symbol to highlight those items that can only be accomplished by a certified Aircraft Technician.
The manufacturer’s (O)s and (M)s are not necessarily exhaustive. The operator must add its own procedures if the manufacturer’s are vague or incomplete. For example, with an inoperative Anti-Skid system an entry such as “Airplane Flight Manual corrections must be made” is of little use if the crew has no access to the AFM’s performance graphs. An acceptable entry in the Operational Procedures column would be “Anti skid inoperative runaway analysis must be obtained from the performance provider” or “Use FCOM Vol 1 Take-off – Performance Inflight (PI) section – Antiskid Inoperative.”
Ops Spec/Navigation Approvals usually require that the MEL contain the relevant dispatch conditions. The appropriate entry must be written in the Number Installed, Number Required and the Remarks or Exceptions column.

Above all, the MEL must be clear, concise and correct.

The above list is not exhaustive.