Drone exam · Maintenance and airworthiness

An old drone has repeated airframe repairs, scarce spare parts and software that is no longer supported. Each individual defect can still be fixed. What broader decision should the operator consider?

Answer

Consider retiring the aircraft if continued maintenance can no longer provide a reliable, supportable and well controlled configuration at reasonable safety confidence.

Explanation

Airworthiness is a system level judgment. Endless individual repairs can still leave a fleet with poor reliability and weak supportability.