AvBuyer Magazine - July 2018

or many aircraft operators, planning a

maintenance event can be difficult. You

often need to juggle calendar, cycle-based,

and one-time events (like engines, APU,

airworthiness directives (ADs) and service

bulletins).

Warranty requirements or power-by-the-hour

programs can sometimes further complicate your

schedule. By combining your events, you will ensure

your items are taken care of in one shop visit.

As we approach the deadline for the ADS-B

mandate, many shops across the industry are seeing

a heavy backlog of work, which can add to the

complexity of scheduling and tracking your

maintenance. (You may find your preferred shop

location may not have availability for several months.)

Nevertheless, taking the following common

mistakes into consideration when planning your next

event will help save you time and money.

5. Misunderstanding Current &
   Future Maintenance Status
   A full understanding of your aircraft’s current and
   future maintenance status can save an operator a lot
   of extra time and expense, including avoiding
   additional unnecessary downtime.
   A thorough logbook review is critical to not only
   understand what is overdue and what is due, but
   also what’s coming due.
   If you are purchasing an aircraft and adding a
   large work scope (i.e. paint and interior), it may be in
   the shop for anywhere from a few weeks to a few
   months.
   To minimize your downtime, it can help to look
   past your scheduled ‘out’ date to see if anything else
   is coming due that can be taken care of while your
   aircraft is out of action. This could also include
   upcoming inspections, engine overhauls, service
   bulletins and ADs.

Tip:Some operators subscribe to maintenance

tracking systems to help them schedule all their due

and upcoming maintenance items. Programs like

CAMP and Traxxall can help an operator set up

tracking information that will alert them to all items

they need to consider when scheduling major or

routine inspections.

4. Untimeliness of Approvals
   During a major inspection a maintenance facility can
   shorten your downtime by working discrepancies in
   conjunction with your inspections. For instance, if
   you provide the shop with discrepancy approvals as
   they are discovered rather than waiting until later in
   the process it will save you valuable days at the end
   of the event.
   In addition to working discrepancies in parallel
   with your inspection, more manpower is typically
   available to devote to your aircraft during the initial
   inspection. Manpower can be allocated in advance
   of your aircraft’s arrival to ensure a faster turn-around
   on work completed. It will also allow for parts to be
   ordered sooner, which further reduces overall aircraft
   downtime and cost.


5. Not Planning an Incoming Debrief
   An incoming debrief is essential to save time and
   money on an inspection. This gives you the
   opportunity to run through every item face-to-face
   with the team that is going to be working on your
   airplane.
   Typically, during a debrief, your maintenance
   facility will help set mutually agreed expectations of
   communication throughout the project. This includes
   how they will communicate discrepancies for your
   approval.
   In addition, incoming debriefs allow for thorough
   reviews between each department head/team-lead
   and you. For instance, if you are experiencing weak
   pressurization, the mechanic working on the issue
   can help identify the problem directly by asking
   second- and third-level questions. (Is the problem
   happening at higher altitudes? Lower altitudes? In
   manual or auto mode?)
   This type of trouble-shooting provides an avenue
   to work the identified discrepancies in parallel with
   incoming runs and inspections, allowing parts to be
   ordered much earlier in the process.


6. Poor Communication Throughout
   the Inspection
   Open communication throughout the process will
   help keep your inspection moving. Make sure that
   your project manager fully understands your
   communication preferences so you can be alerted in 

F

Advertising Enquiries see Page 12 http://www.AVBUYER.com July 2018 – AVBUYERMAGAZINE 91

Bill Reeves, Director of Maintenance Services currently

manages the entire maintenance team at Elliott Aviation’s

headquarters in Moline, IL, including the King Air Service

team and the Jet Service team. He offers vast experience in

leading maintenance teams and managing highly-complex

maintenance projects throughout his career in aviation.

What are the things to avoid, saving you time and

money when your aircraft goes into the maintenance

shop? Bill Reeves, Director of Maintenance Services,

Elliott Aviation, lists his top five items...

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