A DEHAVILLAND-8-200 WAS OPERATED IN REVENUE SVC FOR 4 DAYS IN NO COMPLIANCE DUE TO NOT HAVING A REQUIRED TEST FLT AFTER MAINT.

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ON SEP/WED/03; I WAS ASSIGNED TO BE THE CAPT ON A DHC-8-200. I INSPECTED THE ACFT MAINT LOGBOOK AND NOTICED AN IRREGULAR MAINT SIGNOFF FROM A FEW DAYS PRIOR. I CALLED OUR MAIN MAINT FACILITY FOR THE AIRLINE AND TALKED TO THE MAINT CTLR FOR 5-10 MINS ABOUT THE SERIES OF WRITE-UPS I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT. I FELT THE ACFT NEEDED AN EVALUATION FLT FOLLOWING A MAINT PROB THAT WAS ADDRESS DAYS EARLIER; AND THERE WAS NONE NOTED IN THE LOGBOOK. THE MAINT CTLR ASSURED ME THE PROPER MAINT AND REQUIRED FLTS HAD BEEN DONE. I SAID IT DIDN'T REFLECT THAT IN THE LOG. HE ASSURED ME IT HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND ALL WAS PROPER. HE HAD ME ANNOTATE IN THE LOG ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE EVALUATION FLT SO THE LOGBOOK PAPERWORK WOULD BE COMPLETE. I WAS THE 7TH CAPT TO ACCEPT THIS ACFT SINCE THE MAINT ACTION WAS DONE. ON SEP/XA/03 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SAFETY COORDINATOR OF PLT GROUP STATING THAT ME AND 6 OTHER CAPTS ILLEGALLY FLEW THE ACFT WITHOUT PROPER EVALUATION FLTS TAKING PLACE. OBVIOUSLY MAINT CTL THOUGHT THE PROPER FLTS HAD BEEN DONE OR DIDN'T BELIEVE THE ACFT NEEDED THEM TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO BE FLOWN -- POSSIBLY -- ILLEGAL FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS.