Aircraft Maintenance and Helpful Tips
If you own or operate an aircraft, it is important that the vehicle is well maintained to uphold performance, safety, and reliability of all parts and systems. It is often required to carry out various types of inspections on a regular basis, and regular maintenance can prevent the chance of needing to carry out costly and time-consuming repairs. As such, one should become familiar with the basic types of maintenance that must be carried out, alongside common tips to extend surface lives and deter wear and tear.
Keeping an aircraft healthy and safe goes beyond the standard annual inspections that are mandated, and maintenance personnel should always keep the safety of themselves and those around them in mind when they carry out any task. While adhering to good work practices and training is essential, it is also important to always keep hangers, ships, and ramps clean and organized to avoid any potential mishaps. Anyone who works on or around the aircraft should also be using proper safety gear, that of which includes hearing protection for work on tools, eye covers to prevent injuries from debris, and other equipment. Anyone who conducts maintenance should have a good understanding of the basics of aerodynamics and flight, and having awareness of the most essential parts is paramount so that issues can be rapidly detected and solved.
As for the types of maintenance that must be carried out regularly, the most basic process is the pre-flight inspection which is conducted each time before taking off. During this inspection, personnel will have the chance to find any malfunctioning parts or systems that may detract from overall safety. The pre-flight inspection covers both the interior and exterior of the aircraft, and checklists should be followed to ensure nothing is missed.
Within the cabin, one will look over all paperwork like the Airworthiness certification and registration, ensuring that all are present and correct. Then, the control wheel lock is to be removed so that the ignition switch can be inspected. After that, one will then check fuel quantities, aircraft flaps, the master switch, fuel valve, and other similar components. For the exterior check, one will be checking to see if there is anything that seems mechanically unstable or damaged, such as a loose fastener, bent propeller, or other related issue that would make flight unsafe.
While pre-flight inspections can help one find the most obvious issues, it is not a comprehensive safety check. As mandated by various governing bodies, most aircraft will be subjected to professional inspections on regular intervals such as every 100-hours of flight, yearly inspections, progressive inspections, etc. During these various checks, the aircraft will undergo a more thorough investigation where personnel will check for issues like corrosion, cracks, pitting, weld issues, misaligned pipes, and other such problems that signify aging or damaged components. Beyond repair and replacement, sections such as the exhaust and engine will need to be cleaned to remove any potential corrosive materials or buildups.
By following all best practices and standard repair intervals, one can ensure that their aircraft remains well performing and safe for a very long time. If you are conducting an inspection and find that you require various parts for repair or replacement, let the experts at ASAP Aviation Procurement help you source all you need with competitive pricing and rapid lead times. On our website, we carry over 2 billion new, used, obsolete, and hard-to-find parts that have been sourced from top global manufacturers that we trust. As all are available for purchase at any time, we encourage you to take advantage of our RFQ services for speedy quote requests. Within 15 minutes of receiving your submission, a member of our staff will respond with a customized quote for your comparisons. See how ASAP Aviation Procurement can help you when you get in touch with our team members today!