Ratings and capability list
Repair Station Ratings and Capability List Support
Choose the ratings your shop can support today, grow the list as tools, data and trained people arrive, and back every entry with a self-evaluation.
- FAA Part 145 repair station specialists
- +1 818 368 8438
- Every consultant is a former FAA professional
Part 145 specialists
Repair station certification and compliance
Former FAA professionals
Every consultant on our team
300+ years
Collective aviation experience
Free consultation
A reply within one business day
Overview
Repair station ratings and capability list choices that fit your work
Your repair station ratings and capability list define what the shop may legally touch. Ask for too little and you turn away work. Ask for too much and the FAA will expect housing, tools, data and people you do not have yet.
Part 145 gives you two paths. A class rating under 145.59 covers a broad category, such as Class 3 Powerplant for turbine engines. A limited rating under 145.61 covers specific articles or a specialized service, and is often managed through a capability list under 145.215. A component shop with limited ratings can grow that list one part number at a time.
We help new applicants choose correctly during Part 145 certification and help certificated shops add ratings and articles as part of our repair station services. For background on the whole process, read the Part 145 repair station guide.
- Class versus limited rating decisions
- Capability list setup and format
- Self-evaluations before adding articles
- Rating amendments under 145.57
- Alignment with tools, data and training
What we handle
Ratings and capability list work we handle
Class ratings under 145.59
We match your intended work to the right rating and class, and confirm that facilities, equipment and people support the full class you request.
Limited ratings under 145.61
For a narrow scope, such as a specific make and model or a specialized service, we define the limited rating so it reads clearly on your operations specifications.
Capability list under 145.215
We set up a list that identifies each article by make, model or part number and ties each entry to its data, tooling and the rating it falls under.
Self-evaluations
145.215 requires a documented self-evaluation before an article goes on the list. We build the form and the evidence trail an inspector will ask to see.
Adding ratings
New rating means an amended certificate under 145.57. We prepare the application, the equipment and data evidence and the matching manual and roster pages.
Tools, data and people
A rating is only as good as the support behind it. We check calibration, current manufacturer data, and training records for every class or article you add.
14 CFR 145.59
The six repair station ratings and their classes
Before you add an article
What a capability list self-evaluation should show
- The article identified by make, model, part number or other clear nomenclature
- The rating and class, or limited rating, the article falls under
- Housing and facilities suited to the work (145.103)
- Tools and test equipment on hand and calibrated (145.109)
- Current maintenance data for the article, available at the bench
- Trained, qualified technicians and inspectors on the roster (145.161, 145.163)
- Inspection points and the final inspection and return-to-service step
- Signature and date of the person responsible, filed with your records
How the work runs
How we set up or expand your ratings
01
Define the work
List the articles, engines, aircraft or services you perform now and plan to add within the next phase of growth.
02
Pick the path
Decide between class ratings, limited ratings and a capability list, with the trade-offs written down.
03
Prove the support
Check facilities, tools, data and trained people against each rating or article, and close any gaps.
04
Update the paperwork
Prepare the application or capability list revision, the self-evaluations and the manual and roster pages.
05
Keep it current
Set a routine for adding and removing articles so the list always reflects what the shop can really do.
Why Air Traders
Inspector experience working for your shop
- Every consultant is a former FAA professional
- More than 300 years of collective aviation experience
- Hands-on knowledge of how FAA inspectors evaluate repair stations
- Manuals and procedures written for the way your shop actually works
- Senior consultants on your project from the first call to the final approval
- A written scope and plan before any work begins
Related services
Connected Part 145 services
Part 145 certification
Get your initial ratings right from the first application.
Repair station services
Ongoing support for rating changes, audits and FAA surveillance.
RSM and QCM
Capability list procedures written into your repair station manual.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a class rating and a limited rating?
A class rating under 145.59 covers a broad category, for example Class 4 Instrument for electronic instruments. A limited rating under 145.61 is narrower: specific makes and models, specific articles, or a specialized service. Class ratings give flexibility but demand support for the whole class. Limited ratings fit shops with a focused product line and let you grow in controlled steps.
What is a repair station capability list?
A capability list, covered by 145.215, identifies each article the repair station may maintain under its limited ratings, by make and model or other nomenclature. It lets the shop add work without a new rating each time, provided it completes a self-evaluation first. Your repair station manual must describe how the list is revised and kept current.
Do I need a self-evaluation before adding a part to the capability list?
Yes. 145.215 requires a documented self-evaluation before an article is added. It should confirm housing, tools and equipment, current maintenance data, and trained, qualified people for that article. Keep the self-evaluation on file with your records, because inspectors routinely ask for it when they sample capability list entries.
Can a repair station work on articles not on its capability list?
If your rating depends on a capability list, the list sets the boundary. Even with a class rating, 145.201 limits work to articles for which you have the housing, equipment, current data and qualified people. Accepting work outside those limits is a common finding. When a new part number shows up, run the self-evaluation before the work order opens.
How do I add a new rating to an existing repair station?
Apply to amend the certificate under 145.57. Show that facilities, equipment, current data and personnel meet the rating, and update the RSM, QCM, roster and training program to match. The FAA reviews the application and may visit before issuing the amended certificate and operations specifications. Our repair station services page covers other changes that need FAA action.
Should a new repair station apply for class or limited ratings?
Apply for what you can support on day one. A new shop that applies for a full class it cannot yet support will struggle in the performance assessment. A focused shop can start with a limited rating and a short, well-backed capability list, then expand as tools, data and trained people arrive. See the Part 145 repair station guide for how ratings fit the five phases.
Get started
Plan your repair station project
Share your shop, your location and the approval or project you are working on. A former FAA professional will contact you within one business day.