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By the end of this tutorial, you will have created a maintenance work order, added line items, tracked it through status changes, and verified it with an inspector sign-off — the complete lifecycle of a maintenance record in PlaneConnection.
Who should do this tutorial? Directors of Maintenance, A&P mechanics, maintenance managers, and anyone responsible for creating or approving aircraft maintenance records. You will need maintenance module access with at least “update” permission on maintenance operations.

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Before you start

Make sure you have:
  • An active PlaneConnection account with access to the Maintenance module
  • At least one aircraft in your fleet
  • Logged in to your workspace (see the Quickstart if you need help)
  • Completed the Getting Started with Maintenance tutorial (recommended)
Work orders in PlaneConnection are designed to satisfy the recordkeeping requirements of 14 CFR 43.9 (content, form, and disposition of maintenance records) and 14 CFR 43.11 (content, form, and disposition of records for inspections). Every work order captures the who, what, when, and how of maintenance actions — creating an auditable trail from work initiation through return to service.

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Creating and completing a work order

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Step 1: Navigate to Work Orders and click New
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  • Make sure you are in the Maintenance module. Check the module switcher at the top of the sidebar — it should show “Maintenance.”
  • In the sidebar, click Maintenance (under the Fleet group) to open the Maintenance hub, then click New Work Order from the Quick Actions panel. Alternatively, navigate to Maintenance > Work Orders by clicking on the Active Work Orders stat card, then click the New Work Order button in the upper-right corner of the page.
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    You are now on the work order creation form.
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    The Work Orders list page shows summary stats at the top: Open, In Progress, Completed, and Total Cost. Below the stats, a tabbed table lets you filter work orders by status: All, Draft, Open, In Progress, Awaiting Parts, Completed, and Verified.
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    Step 2: Select aircraft and enter work order details
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    Fill in the work order form fields:
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  • Aircraft — select the aircraft this work order applies to from the dropdown. The list shows all aircraft in your fleet by registration number (tail number).
  • Title — enter a clear, descriptive title for the maintenance action. For example: “100-Hour Inspection N12345” or “Replace #2 Engine Fuel Nozzle.” This field is required.
  • Description — provide a detailed description of the work to be performed. Include the maintenance reference (e.g., manufacturer’s maintenance manual section, AD number, or service bulletin number).
  • Priority — select the urgency level:
    • Routine — standard scheduled maintenance
    • Urgent — needs to be addressed soon but aircraft can still fly
    • AOG (Aircraft on Ground) — aircraft is grounded; highest priority
  • Work Order Type — the system defaults to “Scheduled.” Other types include:
    • Unscheduled — corrective maintenance triggered by a discrepancy or squawk
    • AOG — emergency maintenance on a grounded aircraft
    • Phase — phase inspection work
    • Heavy — heavy maintenance check (e.g., C-check, D-check equivalent)
  • Linked Discrepancy (optional) — if this work order addresses a specific discrepancy (squawk), select it from the dropdown to link them. This creates traceability between the reported defect and its corrective action.
  • Estimated Hours — enter the estimated labor hours for the work.
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    Per 14 CFR 43.9(a), maintenance records must include a description of work performed, the date of completion, the name of the person performing the work, and the signature and certificate number of the person approving the aircraft for return to service. The work order form captures all of these elements.
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    Step 3: Add line items
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    After creating the work order, you will be on the work order detail page. Line items document the individual tasks and parts used in the maintenance action.
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  • In the Line Items section, click Add Item.
  • For each line item, fill in:
    • Part ID (optional) — the manufacturer part number (e.g., “P/N 5071M84G01”)
    • Description — what this line item covers (e.g., “Fuel nozzle, #2 engine” or “Labor: remove and replace fuel nozzle”)
    • Quantity — the number of parts or labor units
    • Unit Cost — the cost per unit
  • The system calculates the Total Cost for each line item automatically (quantity multiplied by unit cost).
  • Add as many line items as needed to fully document the work.
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    Separate parts and labor into distinct line items. This makes cost tracking clearer and satisfies the record content requirements of 14 CFR 43.11, which requires documenting the type and extent of inspection, and any parts replaced.
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    Step 4: Assign to a technician
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  • On the work order detail page or edit form, find the Assigned To field.
  • Select a crew member from the dropdown. The list shows maintenance personnel in your workspace by name.
  • Save the assignment.
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    The assigned technician will see this work order in their queue. Assignment creates accountability and satisfies the 14 CFR 43.9(a) requirement to record the name of the person performing the work.
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    Step 5: Track progress through status transitions
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    Work orders in PlaneConnection follow a defined lifecycle. You advance the status as work progresses:
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    StatusMeaningDraftWork order created but not yet active. Use this for planning future work.OpenWork order is approved and ready to begin.In ProgressA technician has started working on the aircraft. The system records the start timestamp automatically.Awaiting PartsWork is paused because parts need to be ordered or received.CompletedAll work is finished. The completion timestamp is recorded automatically.VerifiedAn authorized inspector has reviewed and signed off on the work. The aircraft is approved for return to service.
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    To change the status:
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  • Open the work order detail page.
  • Use the status toolbar at the top-right of the page. The available status transitions depend on the current status.
  • Select the next status. The system records who made the change and when.
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    When you move a work order to In Progress, the system automatically records the start time. When you move it to Completed, the system records the completion time. These timestamps create the timeline audit trail required by 14 CFR 43.9.
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    You can also add notes to the work order at any point during the lifecycle:
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  • In the Notes panel on the right side of the work order detail page, type your note in the text field.
  • Optionally attach a file (PDFs, images, and documents are supported) by clicking the Attach File button.
  • Click Add Note.
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    Notes are timestamped and attributed to the author, creating a chronological record of communications and observations during the maintenance action.
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    Step 6: Complete the work order
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    When all work is finished:
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  • Open the work order detail page.
  • Update the Actual Hours field with the total labor hours spent (this may differ from the estimate).
  • Confirm that Parts Cost and Labor Cost fields reflect the actual costs.
  • Change the status to Completed using the status toolbar.
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    The system records the completion timestamp and triggers a record integrity hash (per 14 CFR 43.9) to create a tamper-evident audit trail for the completed work order.
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    Once a work order is marked Completed, its completion record is hashed into an integrity chain. This is part of PlaneConnection’s compliance with 14 CFR 43.9 maintenance record requirements. The hash ensures that completed records cannot be silently altered.
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    Step 7: Verify the work order (inspector sign-off)
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    Verification is the return-to-service authorization. Only authorized personnel (A&P mechanics with Inspection Authorization, or persons authorized under 14 CFR 43.3) should perform this step.
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  • On the completed work order detail page, click Verify in the toolbar. This opens the verification page.
  • Review the work order summary at the top of the page, including the work order number, title, and current status.
  • Complete the Verification Checklist. All four items must be checked:
    • All work items have been completed as specified
    • All parts used are documented with part numbers and serial numbers
    • Work complies with applicable airworthiness requirements (14 CFR 43.9)
    • Aircraft is approved for return to service (14 CFR 43.3)
  • Optionally enter Verification Notes with any observations or conditions.
  • Click Verify & Approve.
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    Per 14 CFR 43.3, only authorized persons may approve an aircraft for return to service. By clicking Verify & Approve, you certify that all maintenance was performed in accordance with applicable regulations. This is a legally significant action under federal aviation regulations.
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    After verification:
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  • The work order status changes to Verified.
  • The verifier’s identity and timestamp are recorded permanently.
  • The aircraft (if it was grounded or in maintenance status) can be returned to active/dispatch status.
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    Step 8: Confirm on the dashboard
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    Navigate back to the Maintenance Dashboard (click Maintenance in the sidebar).
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  • The Active Work Orders count should reflect the change (one fewer active work order).
  • The Compliance Snapshot panel shows your updated work order count.
  • If the work order resolved a discrepancy that was grounding the aircraft, the Fleet Status panel should show the aircraft as Active again (once the aircraft status is updated).

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    What you accomplished

    In this tutorial, you:
    • Created a new maintenance work order with aircraft, title, description, type, and priority
    • Added line items to document parts and labor
    • Assigned the work order to a technician
    • Tracked the work order through its full lifecycle: Draft, Open, In Progress, Completed, Verified
    • Completed the work order with actual hours and cost data
    • Performed inspector verification with the four-point checklist and return-to-service sign-off
    • Confirmed the results on the Maintenance Dashboard
    Regulatory summary. The work order you just completed satisfies the maintenance record requirements of: - 14 CFR 43.9 — Content, form, and disposition of maintenance records (description of work, date, person performing work, approval for return to service) - 14 CFR 43.11 — Content, form, and disposition of records for inspections conducted under Part 43 (type and extent of inspection, reference to approved data) - 14 CFR 43.3 — Persons authorized to approve aircraft for return to service (verification checklist and sign-off)

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    Next steps

    Manage Work Orders

    Learn advanced work order management: filtering, bulk actions, editing, and deletion.

    Track Due Items

    Set up recurring due items so your next inspection or AD compliance date is automatically tracked.

    Manage Discrepancies

    Report squawks and link them to work orders for full defect-to-resolution traceability.

    Use Fleet Health

    Monitor fleet-wide maintenance health scores and identify aircraft that need attention.
    Last modified on April 5, 2026