Aircraft Maintenance

Aircraft maintenance is the repair, overhaul, inspection or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component. Since aircraft maintenance is directly related to aircraft safety it is highly regulated. Like the Federal Aviation Administration of United States there are various Air Worthiness authorities around the world. Aircraft engineers and technicians need to be well trained and certified. They need to upgrade their skills constantly and perform the repair tasks without any flaw.

In aircraft maintenance there is something called an Airworthiness Release. At the completion of aircraft maintenance task a person authorized by the national airworthiness authority like Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic or Aircraft Inspector (AI) signs a release stating that the maintenance has been done in accordance with the applicable airworthiness regulations. An A & P Mechanic is a refers to an individual who holds an Airframe and/ or Powerplant ( A&P ) certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). An A& P technician inspects aircraft as well as performs and conducts preventive maintenance. There are rules for certification and regulations which must be abided for their license just like pilots do. An Aircraft Inspector (AI) has the responsibility to determine the air worthiness of an aircraft and knows what to do if the aircraft isn’t ready to leave the ground. They do regular maintenance inspections and maintain inspection logs.

Periodic inspections called Aircraft maintenance checks have to be done on all aircrafts after a certain period of time or usage. Commercial airlines follow a continuous program approved by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. Each commercial airline operator follows a Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP) under FAA oversight which includes both routine and detailed inspections. Air worthiness authorities refer to detailed inspections as "Checks" and they are – A Check. B Check, C Check and D Check. A and B are lighter Checks whereas C and D are heavier Checks.

A Check

One takeoff and landing is called a cycle. A check is done every 200 – 300 cycles or 125 flight hours. The check operation takes 20 – 50 man hours. It is usually performed overnight at an airport gate.

B Check

B Check is performed every six months. It takes about 120 – 150 man hours. It is usually completed within 1 – 3 days at an airport hangar.

C Check

C Check is done approximately once in every 20 – 24 months. This is a highly extensive check. A large majority of aircraft components need to be inspected. The aircraft is put out of service till the check is completed. The check requires 1 – 2 weeks and takes about 6000 man hours. It is usually carried out in a hangar at a maintenance base and the aircraft must not leave the base till the check is complete.

D Check

D Check also called the "Heavy Maintenance Visit" is the most comprehensive and demanding of all checks. It is done once every six years. The entire aircraft is taken apart for inspection and overhaul. It takes an effort of 50,000 man hours and two months to complete. If needed the paint may be removed completely for further inspection on the fuselage metal skin. The space requirements for the check are extensive and must be done at a suitable maintenance base. It is the most expensive of all checks with the total cost in the million dollar range.

Unscheduled and Scheduled Maintenance

Fixing any sort of mechanical, plumbing or electrical device should it become out of order or broken is known as unscheduled or casualty maintenance. Performing routine actions which keep the device in working order or prevent trouble from occurring is known as scheduled or preventive maintenance. Collectively they may be termed as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul ( MRO ) operations.

JetEXE offers aircraft maintenance services for a wide variety of airplanes and helicopters. They have a FAA Certified CFR 145 repair station and a "zero accident" history. Their highly experienced, factory trained and certified airplane and helicopter repair teams offer both scheduled and unscheduled aircraft maintenance. They provide periodic servicing, annual inspections and airframe structural repairs in addition to engine overhaul, engine replacement, avionics installation and repairs. JetEXE can perform A,B & C checks. Since they stock a huge inventory of parts a quick turnaround is possible. At JetEXE you can meet all your maintenance needs under one roof. Visit them at www.jetexe.com and find right answer to all your aircraft maintenance needs.

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