The AIRS procedures currently in effect are established by the latest edition of Aircraft Inventory Reporting System, OPNAV Instruction 5442.2. This document provides instructions for recording and reporting information about the inventory, logistics, readiness, and use of Navy aircraft. It specifies policies and procedures concerning custody and accountability of Navy aircraft.

Every aircraft, at any given instant from acceptance by the Navy until final disposition, is in the custody of one (and only one) reporting custodian and one (and only one) controlling custodian. Whenever an aircraft changes custody, it is transferred by one activity and received by snot her. In these cases, receipt and transfer are considered to be simultaneous transactions. An aircraft remains in the reporting custody of the transferring unit until accepted by the receiving unit.

NOTE: For purposes of aircraft accounting and without effect on command relationships established for other purposes, the latest edition of OPNAV Instruction 5442.2 outlines two echelons of command (reporting custodians and controlling custodians). Both echelons are required to submit custody/status change (XRAY) reports. Reporting custodians are the lower echelon (squadrons and units assigned) and usually possess the aircraft. Reporting custodians are the initial source of all data used in the system. Controlling custodians are the higher echelon - the commands that exercise administrative control of assignment, employment, and logistic support of certain aircraft as specified by the Chief of Naval Operations. Examples of controlling custodians are the Commander, Naval Air Force, Atlantic Fleet (COMNAVAIRLANT); Commander, Naval Air Force, Pacific Fleet (COMNAVAIRPACPAC); and the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA). Controlling custodians are commonly referred to as operating commands, and reporting custodians are commonly referred to as operating units .

AIRS has been revised to modernize and mechanize the reporting, transmission, and processing of data and to use source documents in common with the AV-3M system. The information is reported in such fashion as to satisfy the requirements of the Chief of Naval Operations, the AV-3M system, and others.

In most cases, an activity reports, on a one-time basis, each incident of aircraft custody/status change, flight operation, reduced material condition, or changes in material condition reporting status (MCRS). Some of this information is processed at the local level by the data services facility and forwarded to the appropriate controlling custodian. Other information, via XRAY, is sent directly to the controlling custodian by the reporting custodian.

The reporting documents are the OPNAV XRAY message (used to report custody and status change), the Visual Information Display System Maintenance Action Form (VIDS/MAF) (used to report aircraft with reduced mission capability and inventory change data), NAVFLIRS form (used to record flight data management information), and the Aircraft Record "A" Card (provides valuable, readily available operational data concerning each assigned aircraft). The VIDS/ MAF and NAVFLIRS were discussed in chapter 4. The Record "A" Card and the OPNAV XRAY report are described and discussed in the following sections.

AIRCRAFT RECORD "A" CARD

An Aircraft Record "A" Card, OPNAV Form 5442/9, is maintained by reporting custodians for each aircraft in their reporting custody. The card (fig. 6-26) is initiated upon initial receipt of an aircraft and is retained by the unit for a period of 12 months following the date of strike or transfer from unit reporting custody. A copy of the current card will be placed in the manila envelope in the back of the logbook whenever the aircraft is transferred to another unit or physically departs the unit for SDLM or special rework.

As you read this section, refer to figure 6-26. You can see that the upper portion of the front of the card contains spaces for statistical data (which may be typed in) concerning the aircraft. Below this on the left-hand side of the card, space is provided to record XRAY data. The lower right-hand section of the card is used to record flight data. The reverse side of the card is used to record month-by-month flight and landing data.

In the first space at the top left of the card, the aircraft model designation is entered; for example, A-7E, F-14B, F-18A. In the space marked bureau number (BUNO), the bureau number assigned to that particular aircraft is entered. Each aircraft is assigned a bureau number for identification and record purposes. This number remains with the same aircraft from