A FOKKER 100 INSPECTED BY FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR RPTED SMALL RED STRIPES MISSING FROM LOWER SURFACE OF THE TRAILING EDGE FLAPS ACTUALLY TAPED AND PAINTED OVER. INSPECTOR CONCERNED THAT FLC MISSED THIS ITEM ON THE PREFLT CHK.

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XA00Z. LOCATION: ZZZ RAMP. FAA MAINT INSPECTORS ADVISED SMALL RED STRIPES WERE MISSING FROM UNDERSIDE OF FLAP. HE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE FLC HAD MISSED IT ON THE WALKAROUND. UNTIL THAT MOMENT; I HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY WERE EVEN THERE AND HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF EVER BEING TOLD OF THEIR EXISTENCE OR FUNCTION. MAINT PERSONNEL AT THE STATION CORRECTED THE PROB BEFORE FURTHER FLT; BUT IT HAD BEEN COVERED UP IN A PAINT SHOP AND HAS PROBABLY BEEN FLYING QUITE A WHILE LIKE THAT. IF AN INSPECTOR HAS ADDED THESE STRIPES TO HIS HIT LIST OF THINGS TO LOOK FOR; WE NEED A MESSAGE AND SOME INFO ON THE MARKINGS UNLESS IT'S THERE AND I HAVE JUST MISSED IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT RPTR STATED THAT ENGINEERING WAS ADVISED OF THE FAA INSPECTOR'S FINDINGS ON THE MISSING OR TAPED OVER STRIPES AND WAS ADVISED THE STRIPES ARE FOR ALIGNMENT OF THE FLAP TRACKS ON INITIAL FLAP INSTALLATION. THE RPTR SAID THE STRIPES WERE TAPED OVER IN THE PAINT SHOP AND THEN PAINTED OVER. THE RPTR SAID THE STRIPES ARE NOT PART OF THE PREFLT CHK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 421610 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO RPTR STATED THE STRIPES WERE NOT PART OF THE PREFLT CHK AND WAS NOT SURE OF THEIR PURPOSE. THE RPTR SAID THE STRIPES PROBABLY HAD SOME MAINT FUNCTION BUT WAS UNCERTAIN.