{"id":"F2006B10316","name":"AD/GROB 115/1 - Surface Finish","slug":"ad-grob-115-1-surface-finish","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":56061,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B10316-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/GROB 115/1 - Surface Finish","content":"COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 \\- 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY\n\nSCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nGrob G115 Series Aeroplanes\n\nAD/GROB 115/1 Surface Finish 12/88\n\nApplicability: All Grob model G 115 series aircraft.\n\nRequirement: Inspect upper surfaces of wing and horizontal stabilizer to ensure that the surface finish is white.\n\nNote: Coloured markings such as striping near the tips of each surface are permitted. However, coloured markings over large areas or inboard of the semi-span of the wing/stabilizer are prohibited.\n\nCompliance: Before issue of a Certificate of Airworthiness and thereafter at each scheduled inspection for issue of a new Maintenance Release.\n\nBackground: The manufacturer has shown structural substantiation for maximum temperature conditions which could be exceeded, under Australian ambient temperatures, if the solar absorptivity of the surface is greater than that for white paint.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Airworthiness Directive remains tightly scoped to its original purpose: ensuring thermal protection of the Grob G115 airframe through surface colour requirements. It has not expanded beyond this specific safety concern."},"complexity_factors":["Single, specific aircraft type (Grob G115 series)","One clear physical requirement (white surface finish)","Simple exception (striping near tips permitted)","Straightforward compliance timeline (before first airworthiness certificate + each maintenance release)","No cross-references to other legislation or regulations","No defined terms section","Single-page document with minimal conditional language"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive** — a mandatory safety rule issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) that applies to specific aircraft.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Requires all **Grob G115 series aircraft** to have **white paint on the upper surfaces of their wings and horizontal tail** (horizontal stabilizer).\n- Bans large coloured areas or coloured markings on the inner half of these surfaces.\n- Small decorative stripes near the tips are allowed.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nDark colours absorb more heat from the sun. In Australia's hot climate, darker paint could cause the aircraft's structure to get hotter than it was designed for, potentially weakening the airframe over time. White paint reflects heat, keeping temperatures within safe limits.\n\n**Who must comply:**\n- Owners and operators of all Grob G115 aircraft.\n- Must be checked before the aircraft is first certified as airworthy, and again at every scheduled maintenance inspection.\n\n**In short:** If you own this type of plane in Australia, you must keep the tops of the wings and tail white — no exceptions for large coloured areas."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The directive’s scope, as stated in the text, is limited to ensuring white upper-surface finish on Grob G 115 series aircraft and to inspection timing tied to certification and maintenance releases. The stated background links the requirement to limiting solar absorptivity to avoid exceeding structural temperature substantiation. There is no language in the instrument indicating an expansion or contraction of that technical scope beyond the stated intent."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow technical scope: applies only to upper surfaces of wing and horizontal stabilizer on a single aircraft type (Applicability; Requirement).","Clear compliance points: before Certificate of Airworthiness and at scheduled inspections for a new Maintenance Release (Compliance).","Operational ambiguity: terms such as \"large areas\" and \"inboard of the semi-span\" are not quantified, leaving inspectors and operators to interpret limits (Note).","Lack of measurement standards: no specified paint type, absorptivity threshold, or test method to demonstrate compliance (Requirement; Compliance).","Practical cost and scheduling burden concentrated on owners/operators who must inspect and, if needed, repaint (Requirement; Compliance)."],"plain_english_summary":"This airworthiness directive requires inspection and confirmation that the upper surfaces of Grob G 115 series wings and horizontal stabiliser are painted white (small tip striping allowed) before issue of a Certificate of Airworthiness and at each scheduled maintenance release. It responds to a manufacturer finding that darker finishes can raise solar heating beyond substantiated structural limits. Aircraft owners/operators must inspect, correct paintwork if needed, and bear associated costs."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-grob-115-1-surface-finish","history":"/api/acts/ad-grob-115-1-surface-finish/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-grob-115-1-surface-finish/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-grob-115-1-surface-finish/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-grob-115-1-surface-finish/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-grob-115-1-surface-finish/documents"}}