The Complete Handbook of Aircraft Parts & Accessories
A Practical Reference for Buyers, Owners, and Maintainers of Aircraft Spares, Consumables, and Accessories
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
From PMA bolts to avionics trays: how to source, verify, install, and maintain aircraft parts and accessories without getting burned.
About this book
Every aircraft that flies, from a Piper Cub to a Citation Jet, is held together and powered by thousands of individual parts and accessories. Whether you are an A&P mechanic ordering a replacement magneto, a flight school owner stocking consumables, or a homebuilder sourcing a firewall-forward kit, the difference between a good decision and a costly mistake often comes down to paperwork and provenance, not just price.
This handbook walks you through the real-world system of aircraft parts: airframe, engine, avionics, electrical, and interior accessories. It explains the critical distinction between certified parts, PMA parts, and experimental-market parts, and gives you a practical framework for deciding when each is appropriate. It covers inspection criteria, storage and shelf-life issues, installation pitfalls, and day-to-day maintenance that keeps accessories reliable.
The second half of the book addresses the commercial side of the industry. You will learn how to evaluate suppliers, structure a resale or brokerage operation, and position a service business around part installation and repair. Future trends, including digital twins and additive manufacturing, are covered with a grounded perspective on regulation and certification. This is not a guide to flipping cheap parts on eBay; it is a practical manual for building a career or business in a precision, safety-critical industry.
Reader Reviews
Angela Thomas
★★★★★I've been an A&P for eleven years and I still learned something on nearly every page. The chapter on understanding parts is exactly what I wish my apprentices would read before they touch a parts room. The breakdown of what a PMA part actually is, and when you can legally use one, is worth the price alone. It's the first non-OEM manual I've seen that doesn't talk down to you. I've already recommended it to two of my mechanics and the flight school we do work for bought three copies.
Edward Perez
★★★★★The book is solid and well-organized, and I can see it being useful for a newer A&P or someone getting into the business side of aviation. I appreciated the chapter on choosing parts, and the checklists for receiving parts are practical. My main gripe is that it doesn't go deep enough on specific aircraft types, and some of the troubleshooting sections felt a little generic, like they were written for a Cessna rather than something more complex. For the price, I expected a bit more detail on modern avionics. Still, it earned a place in my office.