U.S. airlines and air cargo companies operate more than 6,700 aircraft. Nearly half of the work of maintaining, repairing and renovating this fleet is done by about 2,800 independent repair stations rather than the air carriers themselves. Examines the FAA's oversight of the aviation repair station industry. This report addresses these questions: (1) What is the nature and scope of the oversight of repair stations conducted by FAA personnel? (2) How well does FAA follow up on inspections to ensure that identified deficiencies in repair station operations are corrected? (3) What steps has FAA taken to improve the oversight of repair stations? Charts and tables.