Why Annual Inspections?

Why does the FAA require owners of small GA airplanes to put them through a complete inspection every 12 months, even if they've only flown 40 hours or less since the last inspection? Does it really make sense to open up the wings, empennage, and tailcone and remove the seats, carpets and floorboards to inspect for corrosion every 12 months? In this webinar, Mike Busch A&P/IA explores this issue by pointing out that owners of "big boy" airplanes like King Airs aren't required to do this, but owners of smaller airplanes are. Mike questions this double standard, asks why the FAA doesn't treat the "rest of us" more like it treats the "big boys" and fantasizes about a simple change to the regulations that would make this possible. Savvy Aviation offers Professional Maintenance Services to owners of General Aviation aircraft, such as: SavvyMx (Professional Maintenance Management including Prebuy Services), SavvyQA (Expert Consulting), SavvyAnalysis (Engine Data Analysis) and Breakdown Assistance. Savvy also publishes a monthly newsletter with lots of interesting information for the general aviation enthusiast; subscribe to it at https://www.savvyaviation.comor text the word "Savvy" to 33777. This webinar was hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).