OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS COMPOSITES HAVE BEEN INTEGRATED INTO COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES. WHILE THESE STRUCTURES SAVE WEIGHT OVER CONVENTIONAL METAL STRUCTURES, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR INSPECTION OF IN-SERVICE STRUCTURES ARE DIFFERENT. THE PRIMARY IN-SERVICE INSPECTION METHOD IS VISUAL EXAMINATION. ULTRASONIC INSPECTION IS TYPICALLY USED TO EVALUATE DEFECTS FOUND VISUALLY. ULTRASONIC INSPECTION ALSO IS USED FOR DETAILED INSPECTION IN AREAS OF CONCERN TO STRESS ENGINEERING. FUTURE INSPECTION TECHNIQUES MAY RELY MORE ON WIDE-FIELD INSPECTION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS SHEAROGRAPHY OR RETRO REFLECTOR IMAGING.