What FAA Part 145 Certification Means for a Wheel Shop

FAA Part 145 certification means a wheel shop is a certificated repair station, authorized by the FAA to maintain the articles listed under its ratings. For an aircraft owner or Director of Maintenance, it is the baseline: the shop works to approved data, under a quality system, and releases each wheel with an FAA 8130-3.

What is an FAA Part 145 repair station?

Part 145 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations sets the rules for repair stations. A repair station that meets them receives an FAA certificate listing its ratings.

A certificated repair station may work only on articles within those ratings. It must have the facilities, equipment, trained personnel and current technical data the work requires. For an aircraft wheel, that data is usually the manufacturer's component maintenance manual (CMM).

The station must also maintain a quality control system and keep records of the work it performs. The FAA oversees certificated repair stations against these requirements.

The certificate belongs to the repair station as an organization. It is separate from the individual certificates held by mechanics and inspectors who work there.

What do APSS's ratings cover?

AeroParts and Supply Southwest, Inc. holds FAA Repair Station certificate #6ERR311D, Part 145 Limited. You can view the certificate at /faa-certificate.pdf.

APSS holds two ratings:

• Limited Accessories. Covers maintenance of the specific aircraft wheels on the APSS capability list.
• Limited NDT. Covers nondestructive testing, so APSS performs wheel NDT in-house rather than sending parts out.

A limited rating is narrower than a full class rating. It applies to specific articles, or to a specialized service such as NDT, rather than to every article in a category. That is why the capability list matters.

APSS has worked on aircraft wheels from Dallas since 1994. The shop is at 2722 Burbank St, near Dallas Love Field.

Why check a shop's capability list?

A limited rating means the shop is approved for specific wheels, not all wheels. The capability list is where those wheels are named.

The APSS capability list covers about 96 wheel part numbers:

Manufacturer	Wheel types
BF Goodrich	47
Meggitt-Parker	40+
Messier-Bugatti (Falcon 2000 series)	4
Cleveland	4

Search by your exact part number, including the dash number. Wheels that look alike on the ramp can carry different part numbers, different CMMs and different inspection schedules.

If your part number is not listed, call before shipping the wheel.

What does an FAA 8130-3 tell you?

FAA Form 8130-3, the Authorized Release Certificate, is the document a repair station uses to release a maintained article. It identifies the article by part number and serial number, states its status, such as overhauled or inspected and tested, and identifies the repair station that released it.

APSS issues an FAA 8130-3 on release for a routine Tire Change, a full overhaul, and every exchange or outright wheel.

Keep the 8130-3 with the wheel's records. It is the link between that serial number and the work done on it, and the next shop or inspector will ask for it.

Who performs NDT, and how are they qualified?

Nondestructive testing (NDT) finds cracks and defects without damaging the part. On an aircraft wheel, the CMM specifies which method applies to each part.

APSS performs NDT in-house under its Limited NDT rating. Inspectors are certified to NAS 410 / SNT-TC-1A, Level II minimum. NAS 410 and SNT-TC-1A are the industry standards for qualifying and certifying NDT personnel. A Level II inspector is qualified to set up and perform an inspection and to interpret and evaluate the results against the written procedure.

APSS uses three methods:

Method	When	What it inspects
Eddy current	Every Tire Change	Bead seat area, no paint stripping
Dye penetrant	Overhaul	Whole wheel halves, paint stripped
Magnetic particle	Tire change or overhaul, per the CMM	Tie bolts

When NDT finds a defect within repair limits, APSS notifies the customer and re-quotes the order. When the defect is beyond repair limits, the wheel is red-tagged and rejected. Inside an Aircraft Wheel Overhaul shows where each method fits in the process, and the NDT services section lists them.

How do you verify a repair station?

Start with the certificate. Ask the shop for its repair station certificate number and a copy of the certificate, and confirm the ratings match the work you need.

A repair station's certificate number can be verified with the FAA. APSS's number is #6ERR311D, and the certificate is posted at /faa-certificate.pdf.

Then check the capability list for your exact part number. A valid certificate with the wrong ratings, or without your wheel listed, does not cover your job.

What should you ask any wheel shop?

Five questions cover most of the risk:

1. Is my exact part number on your capability list? APSS: see /wheels.
2. What is your certificate number, and which ratings does it hold? APSS: #6ERR311D, Limited Accessories and Limited NDT.
3. Is NDT done in-house, and to what standard are inspectors qualified? APSS: in-house, NAS 410 / SNT-TC-1A, Level II minimum.
4. What happens if my wheel fails inspection? APSS: repairable findings are re-quoted before work continues; unrepairable wheels are red-tagged and rejected.
5. What paperwork comes back, and what does it cost? APSS: an FAA 8130-3 with every wheel, and published labor pricing on the services page. Tire Change labor starts at $450 for a nose wheel and $500 for a main wheel; parts, shop supplies and freight are billed as incurred.

Get a quote. Call (214) 337-3328, email sales@2aps.com, or send your wheel part number through the contact form or request for quote. APSS is open 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM CT, Monday–Friday.