> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.planeconnection.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Getting Started with Maintenance
> Set up your maintenance module, add aircraft maintenance profiles, configure due items, and explore the maintenance dashboard.
This tutorial walks you through the Maintenance module in PlaneConnection. By the end, you will understand the maintenance dashboard, know how to check fleet health, browse due items, review discrepancies, and monitor MEL deferrals.
**Prerequisites.** Before starting this tutorial, make sure you have: - Signed in to your{" "}
PlaneConnection workspace - The Maintenance module enabled for your workspace - At least one
aircraft added to your fleet (see [Setting Up Your Fleet](/en/tutorials/setting-up-fleet) if you
need to add aircraft first)
### Step 1: Open the Maintenance module
1. Look at the sidebar on the left side of the screen. Near the top, you will see a **module switcher** dropdown showing your current module (e.g., "Operations" or "Safety Management System").
2. Click the module switcher and select **Maintenance**.
3. The sidebar updates to show maintenance-specific navigation items under the **Fleet** group: **Aircraft**, **Due Items**, **Discrepancies**, **MEL Deferrals**, and **Maintenance** (the hub page).
You are now in the Maintenance module. The default landing page is the **Maintenance Dashboard**.
### Step 2: Explore the Maintenance Dashboard
The Maintenance Dashboard is your real-time overview of fleet health and maintenance activity. It is designed for Directors of Maintenance, A\&P mechanics, and maintenance managers who need an at-a-glance picture of fleet readiness.
At the top of the dashboard, you will see four stat cards:
* **Fleet Active** -- the number of aircraft currently in active (flyable) status
* **Overdue Items** -- maintenance items that have passed their due date or due hours
* **Open Squawks** -- unresolved discrepancies (defects reported by pilots or maintenance staff)
* **Active Work Orders** -- work orders in open, in-progress, or awaiting-parts status
Each stat card is clickable and navigates to the relevant detail page.
Below the stat cards, the dashboard shows three detail panels:
* **Fleet Status** -- a breakdown of your fleet by status (Active, In Maintenance, AOG, Storage) with progress bars showing the proportion in each state. If any aircraft are grounded (AOG), they are listed by tail number at the bottom of this panel.
* **Due Item Pipeline** -- a count of tracked maintenance items by status: Overdue, Due Soon, Upcoming, Deferred, and Completed. Click **View All** to go to the full Due Items page.
* **Work Orders** -- a breakdown of work orders by status (In Progress, Awaiting Parts, Open, Pending Approval, Completed), plus a summary of open squawks by severity (Grounding, Critical, Major, Minor).
The **Attention Required** section at the bottom highlights the most urgent overdue and due-soon
items across your fleet. If this section shows "All clear" with a green checkmark, you have no
overdue or due-soon maintenance items -- a good sign for fleet readiness.
The dashboard also includes a **Quick Actions** panel with shortcuts to common tasks:
* New Squawk
* New Work Order
* Due Items
* MEL Deferrals
* AD/SB Tracker
* SmartScore
And a **Compliance Snapshot** panel showing counts mapped to their regulatory basis (14 CFR Part 135 Subpart J, 14 CFR Part 43.11, 14 CFR 43.9(a)).
### Step 3: Review your fleet's maintenance status
1. On the Maintenance Dashboard, click the **Fleet Active** stat card (or navigate to **Aircraft** in the sidebar under the Fleet group).
2. The Aircraft page lists every aircraft in your fleet with its current status.
3. Look at the **Status** column. Aircraft can be in one of these states:
* **Active** -- airworthy and available for dispatch
* **Maintenance** -- currently undergoing scheduled or unscheduled maintenance
* **AOG** (Aircraft on Ground) -- grounded due to a mechanical issue; cannot fly until resolved
* **Storage** -- not in active service
Aircraft in **AOG** status cannot be dispatched. Any grounding discrepancy or critical maintenance
issue must be resolved and the work order verified before the aircraft can return to service. This
is enforced per 14 CFR 43.3 (return-to-service authorization).
### Step 4: Browse due items for an aircraft
Due items track everything that has a recurring maintenance deadline: inspections, airworthiness directives (ADs), engine overhauls, avionics checks, pilot certificates, insurance renewals, and more.
1. In the sidebar, click **Due Items** (under the Fleet group).
2. The Due Items page shows a table of all tracked items across your fleet.
3. Each row shows the item name, category (pilot, aircraft, or company), the entity it belongs to (tail number or crew member name), the due date, status, and days remaining.
4. Items are color-coded by status:
* **Overdue** (red) -- past due; requires immediate attention
* **Due Soon** (yellow/amber) -- approaching the due date
* **Current** (green) -- not yet due
5. Use the **status tabs** at the top of the table to filter by status (All, Current, Due Soon, Overdue).
6. Use the **search field** to filter by item name, aircraft registration, or crew member name.
Due items include both calendar-based deadlines (e.g., annual inspection due by date) and
hours-based deadlines (e.g., engine overhaul due at 3,000 hours). The system tracks both and shows
whichever threshold will be reached first.
### Step 5: Check existing discrepancies
Discrepancies (also called squawks or defects) are mechanical issues reported against an aircraft. They must be tracked and resolved before the aircraft can be confirmed airworthy.
1. In the sidebar, click **Discrepancies** (under the Fleet group).
2. The Discrepancies page shows a table with status tabs: **Open**, **Deferred**, and **Closed**.
3. Each discrepancy shows the aircraft registration, title, description, severity, reporter, date, and status.
4. Severity levels are:
* **Grounding** -- aircraft cannot fly until resolved
* **Critical** -- significant safety concern; must be addressed before next flight or within a short timeframe
* **Major** -- needs attention but does not prevent flight
* **Minor** -- cosmetic or low-impact issue
5. Click any row to view the full discrepancy detail, including corrective actions, MEL references, and linked work orders.
To report a new discrepancy, click the **New Squawk** button on the Discrepancies page (or use the
Quick Actions panel on the Maintenance Dashboard). You will need the aircraft tail number, a
description of the defect, and a severity assessment.
### Step 6: Review MEL deferrals
When an item on the aircraft's Minimum Equipment List (MEL) becomes inoperative, it can be deferred under specific conditions defined by 14 CFR 91.213 and 14 CFR 135.179. The MEL Deferrals page tracks these deferred items with countdown timers.
1. In the sidebar, click **MEL Deferrals** (under the Fleet group).
2. The page shows active deferrals organized as cards, each displaying:
* Aircraft registration
* The deferred item name and ATA chapter
* The MEL category badge (**A**, **B**, **C**, or **D**)
* A countdown showing days remaining before the deferral expires
* Any operational limitations in effect while the item is deferred
MEL categories determine how long an item can remain deferred:
| Category | Repair Interval | Description |
| -------- | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **A** | As specified (or before next flight) | Time-critical items with specific deadlines in the MEL remarks |
| **B** | 3 calendar days | Short-term deferrals |
| **C** | 10 calendar days | Medium-term deferrals |
| **D** | 120 calendar days | Long-term deferrals |
3. At the top of the page, summary cards show: **Active** deferrals, **Expiring Soon**, and **Expired** counts, plus a breakdown by category (A/B/C/D).
An expired MEL deferral means the aircraft may not be legal to fly with that item inoperative.
Expired deferrals require immediate attention -- either rectify the item or obtain an authorized
extension.
### Step 7: Next steps
You now have a working understanding of the Maintenance module's core pages. Here is where to go next:
## What you accomplished
In this tutorial, you:
* Navigated to the Maintenance module using the module switcher
* Read the Maintenance Dashboard and understood its stat cards, fleet status, due item pipeline, and work order summary
* Reviewed fleet health and aircraft status (Active, Maintenance, AOG, Storage)
* Browsed due items with status filtering and search
* Checked discrepancies by severity and status
* Reviewed MEL deferrals with category-based countdown timers
## Next steps
Walk through creating, assigning, completing, and verifying a maintenance work order.
Learn how to add, snooze, and complete due items as maintenance tasks are performed.
Report new squawks, link them to work orders, and close them with corrective actions.
Defer inoperative items, track countdown timers, and rectify or extend deferrals.