The routine, calendar-driven backbone of the handbook. Preventive maintenance is scheduled work performed regardless of condition — cleaning, tightening, alignment, and functional checks — carried out to prevent avoidable failure, detect deterioration early, and keep every AGL asset in reliable operating condition.
Philosophy: preventive maintenance is not simply "cleaning equipment." It addresses five asset conditions — electrical, mechanical, optical, environmental, and functional — and follows a fixed sequence from planning through to record and monitor, on every fixture, cable, connector, and control system in the system.
Every preventive-maintenance task in this division follows the same underlying sequence, regardless of asset type — and is judged against the same five conditions.
Exact frequency is set by the airport's approved maintenance programme, equipment requirements, and operational criticality. A typical planning structure looks like this.
| Frequency | Typical PM Scope |
|---|---|
| Daily / Shift | Operational condition and obvious defects |
| Weekly | Cleaning, visual condition, and minor checks |
| Monthly | Fixture / equipment detailed PM |
| Quarterly | Equipment and circuit condition checks |
| Half-yearly | Detailed mechanical / electrical PM |
| Annual | Comprehensive PM and condition assessment |
| Event-based | After failure, lightning, flooding, construction, severe weather, or major maintenance |
Before any preventive-maintenance task begins, four requirement groups must be closed out.
Grouped by asset type — click any topic to expand its maintenance activities and acceptance condition.
Acceptance: clean, secure, correctly oriented, free from unacceptable damage, properly connected, free from unacceptable moisture ingress, and operational.
Record: condition captured against the standard maintenance record on completion.
Close-out: defect recording against the asset before sign-off.
Removes: dust, mud, oil, dirt, organic contamination, and other deposits affecting optical performance — without damaging optical surfaces.
Out of tolerance: corrective adjustment is performed and recorded.
Correct: any loose or damaged hardware found.
Record: corrective action taken.
Sequence: Clean → Inspect → Reassemble → Functional Check → Record.
Deteriorated connectors: assessed for replacement or corrective maintenance.
Care: cleaning must not compromise seals or optical components.
Record: results against the asset once verified.
Record: any deterioration identified.
Testing: where required, follow the approved test procedure separately.
Testing: electrical testing follows the applicable approved procedure.
Verify: commands result in the expected system response.
Note: complements Topic 06 with the circuit / equipment-level checks under Group C.
Standard: use approved torque requirements where specified.
Never apply lubricant indiscriminately to AGL equipment.
Use: the airport's approved defect/condition classification consistently across every asset.
When a defect is discovered mid-task, the same seven-step handling sequence applies across every topic in this division.
Determine the exact asset and defect.
Critical / Major / Minor / Observation.
Safety, availability, function, photometry, mechanical or electrical integrity.
Repair or replace where authorized.
Confirm restoration.
Update the maintenance record.
Unresolved significant defects enter the corrective-maintenance process.
Quick answers about preventive maintenance of AGL systems, based on the topics in this division.
Preventive maintenance is scheduled, calendar-driven work performed regardless of asset condition. It covers cleaning, tightening, alignment and functional checks, and is carried out to prevent avoidable failure, detect deterioration early and keep every AGL asset in reliable operating condition.
Division 01 contains 40 preventive-maintenance topics in four asset groups: Group A Runway Lighting (12 topics), Group B Taxiway Lighting (8 topics), Group C Other AGL Equipment (12 topics) and Group D Routine Maintenance Activities (8 topics). Group C includes PAPI / APAPI, airfield signs, CCRs, isolation transformers, primary cable, connectors, earthing, ALCMS, approach lighting, stop bars and base-cans.
No. Preventive maintenance is not simply cleaning equipment. Each task is judged against five asset conditions: electrical, mechanical, optical, environmental and functional. It is applied to every fixture, cable, connector and control system in the AGL system.
Every task follows the same ten-step sequence regardless of asset type: Plan, Isolate, Inspect, Clean, Adjust, Tighten, Test, Restore, Record and Monitor.
The exact frequency is set by the airport's approved maintenance programme, the equipment requirements and operational criticality. A typical planning structure is daily or shift checks for operational condition and obvious defects, weekly cleaning and visual checks, monthly detailed fixture PM, quarterly circuit and equipment condition checks, half-yearly detailed mechanical and electrical PM, and an annual comprehensive PM and condition assessment. Event-based PM is also carried out after failure, lightning, flooding, construction, severe weather or major maintenance.
Four requirement groups must be closed out first. Work planning covers identifying the asset, location and circuit, reviewing maintenance history, and confirming tools, spares, PPE and test instruments. Operational coordination covers work authorization, ATC or airport operations coordination, airside access, work limits and communications. Safety covers electrical, movement, FOD and pit hazards, plus isolation or LOTO where required. Documentation covers the date, time, asset ID, circuit ID, location, team, work order reference and previous condition.
It includes visually inspecting the fixture, cleaning the lens or prism, removing dirt and contamination, inspecting the housing, checking mounting and fasteners, verifying orientation and elevation, inspecting the frangible arrangement, checking the cable entry, secondary lead and connector, checking for moisture ingress and corrosion, checking optical condition and illumination, replacing defective components, and restoring the fixture and recording the work. The fixture is accepted when it is clean, secure, correctly oriented, free from unacceptable damage, properly connected, free from unacceptable moisture ingress and operational.
Only where the manufacturer permits it, the component requires lubrication, the correct lubricant is specified and it will not contaminate optical or electrical components. Lubricant must never be applied indiscriminately to AGL equipment.
Confirm the correct hardware, inspect threads for corrosion or damage, tighten using the approved method, apply the specified torque where required, avoid overtightening and verify alignment after tightening. Any corrective action taken is recorded.
A seven-step sequence applies across every topic: identify the asset and defect, classify it as Critical, Major, Minor or Observation, assess the impact on safety, availability, function, photometry and mechanical or electrical integrity, correct it by repair or replacement where authorized, verify restoration, update the maintenance record, and escalate. Unresolved significant defects enter the corrective-maintenance process.
The record should include the asset ID, equipment type, location and circuit; date, frequency, technician and supervisor; initial and final condition; work performed and parts replaced; test or functional result; defects found and their classification; corrective action and photographic evidence; and the next PM due date, remarks and sign-off.
Preventive maintenance is mainly inspection, cleaning, tightening, alignment and functional checking. Where electrical testing is required, for example on primary cable or the earthing system, it follows the applicable approved test procedure separately. Deteriorated components, such as connectors, are assessed for replacement or corrective maintenance, and unresolved significant defects are escalated to the corrective-maintenance process.
Preventive maintenance is more than scheduled cleaning and inspection.
Build the technical knowledge to understand how AGL assets behave, what conditions cause deterioration, how maintenance activities affect system performance, and when inspection must lead to testing, troubleshooting or corrective action.
Maintain with purpose. Understand the system. Build technical capability.
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