A test flight for flight control maintenance may be waived at the discretion of?

• A. Wing Commander
• B. Base Commander
• C. Chief Pilot
• D. Commanding Officer when certain conditions are met

Answer: (D)

The ability to waive a test flight for flight control maintenance rests with the Commanding Officer of the unit, and only when specific criteria are met. This reflects how flight safety and accountability are handled in practice: the unit’s top authority can approve a waiver to avoid an unnecessary flight test, but not arbitrarily. The decision is grounded in ensuring that any maintenance performed has been verified by proper checks and that proceeding without a standard test flight does not introduce undue risk. When conditions are met, the CO can authorize the waiver and typically require documented justification, along with any other verifications or follow‑up actions needed to maintain safety and airworthiness.