Having basic knowledge about the maintenance program for aircraft engines and airframes is one of the essential requirements in selecting the right type of airplane for particular flying missions and efficient operation. Whether you have a vintage aircraft or a Cessna airplane, you’ll need engineers and technicians having experience of both maintenance as well as the operating side of your plane, keeping in mind both safety and cost of the operation.
Maintenance is a crucial element of the entire operating cost of an aircraft. For a new airplane operator or owner, there’s an extremely steep learning curve involved in attaining the knowledge and expertise necessary to maintain it appropriately.
Scheduled Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft manufacturers specify the number of scheduled inspections under recommended maintenance programs. Owners and operators of different airplanes have to follow these programs, which are required at particular intervals. The maintenance could be due at fixed calendar dates or measured in the number of flight cycles a particular aircraft accumulates.
The key is to split the inspection process into smaller tasks over the period of time to give yourself the much-needed flexibility to perform a couple of maintenance tasks on your airplane any time it’s not due to make a trip. This allows you to conduct aircraft maintenance progressively throughout the year, eliminating or minimizing any annual downtime that may be required otherwise.
The practice mentioned above is becoming increasingly common among the operators of small aircraft. It’s also vital for prospective small airplane buyers to find out beforehand whether or not the plane they are going to purchase offers a progressive maintenance program. This would, in turn, help them in avoiding or minimizing periods of compulsory annual downtime in the future. One of the critical aspects of purchasing decisions is knowing the maintenance cycle of the aircraft and making sure that it fits well within the mission profile of what the owner intends to perform with aircraft.
Many airplane types need to have a substantial phased inspection at specific periods. The size and complexity of your aircraft generally dictates the inspection intervals beside the recommendations provided by the original equipment manufacturers OEM. Also, various versions of a typical plane will require considerably different maintenance programs depending on varying levels of engine performance, instrumentation, fuel tankage, and other operational features.
Unscheduled Aircraft Maintenance
During their entire useful life, all types of aircraft also require unscheduled maintenance, also known as line maintenance. It’s often performed overnight, either at the airport being visited or at the plane’s base. Line maintenance involves both minor tasks (like changing light bulbs in the aircraft cabin), mid-level tasks (like topping up hydraulic fluid), and significant tasks (like replacing or repairing avionics tools). It could also consist of doing minor or major engine overhauls likely due to unexpected events or circumstances.
Acorn Welding specializes in aircraft maintenance assignments involving different kinds of welding procedures, liquid penetrant, and magnetic particle checkups, and producing various types of aircraft components. Visit our website to learn more or contact us for customized service.
