January 09 tip provided by Duncan Aviation:
Better Calibration = Better Performance
One of the biggest reasons Duncan Aviation has such a good reputation for quality
is tool and instrument calibration. Fortunately, Duncan has an internal “Cal
Lab” team that is the calibration resource for the entire company and for
many regular customers and FBOs. Everything from torque wrenches to air data
units are calibrated by this team. To maintain quality, calibration work is extremely
important and Duncan technicians recommend checking the quality of your current
calibrations against this seven-point checklist:
- Turntime: Are your standard and quick turns usually met?
- Records: Does your lab keep records of your calibrations?
- Warranty: Does their work have a warranty?
- Documentation: Is the documentation easy to understand?
- Traceability: Are your tools/instruments traceable to NIST?
- Services: Can your shop meet all your calibration needs?
- Answers: If you have a question, will they explain until you
understand?
Hope this information helps.
The FAA has established a one-of-a-kind online safety library that
teaches “lessons learned” from some of the world’s
most historically significant transport aircraft accidents… especially
how that knowledge can help maintain today’s aviation safety
record.
“Why study aircraft accidents that happened as long as 40 years ago?” the
agency asks, rhetorically. “The FAA believes many of the lessons learned
from these tragedies are timeless, and are relevant to today’s
aviation community. By learning from the past, aviation professionals
can use that knowledge to recognize key factors, and potentially
prevent another accident from occurring under similar circumstances,
or for similar reasons, in the future.
“The FAA’s Lessons Learned library, in its initial release, lists
11 major aircraft accidents that made an impact on the way the aviation industry
and the FAA conduct business today. The FAA’s goal is to stock
the library with 40 more historically significant accidents by the
end of 2009.”
The website address is http://accidents-ll.faa.gov. It’s
also available from a link on the FAA home page (www.faa.gov)
under the news headlines.
Even though the mechanical aspects of the aircraft involved are airline
category, the Human Factors elements are what we in the corporate
aviation field can learn from. I encourage each one of you to take
at look at what the FAA is providing here.
(The contents of this article are excerpted from the jetBlue
Airways Human Factors Industry newsletter along with our friend
Roger Hughes.)
RVSM maintenance manual
Our friends at Duncan Aviation gave us some advice this past Spring
2008 about the importance of using an RVSM manual for those aircraft
so authorized to operate in designated airspace. I think it bears
repeating because it is such a simple concept yet can cause extreme
hardship if not followed.
If your aircraft is RVSM certified, you are required to keep an RVSM
maintenance manual onboard the aircraft. In it, you will find
instructions on not only how to repair and inspect RVSM critical
components, but what special training and/or certifications are required
of the individuals working on your aircraft as well as the proper
procedures for returning the aircraft to service after RVSM maintenance.
For those of you who have had personal experience in obtaining a
Letter of Authorization (LOA) to obtain approval from the FAA to
operate in RVSM airspace, you know that creating and producing a
RVSM manual is required when petitioning the FAA for the LOA, as
well as ensuring it is onboard the aircraft and readily available
should RVSM system maintenance be required.
So, the tip is, if you responsible for an RVSM certified aircraft,
make sure your RVSM manual is onboard the aircraft, current and used
by yourself or outside vendors when conducting RVSM maintenance.
By the same token, if you work in a facility that has exposure to
many different aircraft and operators, recognize the RVSM system
requirements that need to be followed on these type aircraft and
be sure you have access to current and specific information for the
aircraft and component you are working on.
Tech Tip #3- Turnover
It is not uncommon in our industry to find ourselves involved in
aircraft maintenance that lasts for multiple days. Depending on the
job particulars and how smoothly things are running or not, we may
find ourselves more focused on "getting
to the end" and overlooking "how we get there".
To be specific, have we set in place a sound, practical and deliberate
process in carrying over work from one day to the next "turnover", if you will.
You may have a situation where another crew or individual takes over for you,
or you may just pick it up yourself tomorrow. In any case, the following guidelines
are offered as an aid to "getting to the end" safely:
Have a written step-by-step procedure of what you are doing.
- Document every step, no matter how minor.
- Do not assume anything.
- Make clear to everyone where the work package has stopped at
the end of the day or at the end of your shift.
- Allow for communication at anytime of the day with the other
party if more than you are involved.
- Do a complete review of the process confirming accomplishment
of all tasks prior to "Return to Service".
In this situation the communication process followed is just as
important as the job itself.
This Tech Tips come to us
courtesy of our good friends at Duncan Aviation:
The subject is TFE731 Engine Preservation.
Engines that experience more than six (6) months of low utilization
must follow specific guidelines that Honeywell provides. One of the
steps to be taken is preservation of the fuel system. You can find
this in the Honeywell LMM (Light Maintenance Manual). While the engine
is motored, an oil preservative is added to the fuel inlet connection
on the fuel pump.
Warning tags need to be applied to the engine stating that the fuel
system has been preserved. Also, a logbook entry shall be made describing
said action.
Every four weeks the engine is required to be motored and a logbook
entry made stating the accomplishment of said action. Complying with
this particular procedure as well as any other particular action
specified in the LMM will ensure your engine(s) do not become members
of the Damaged Engine List.
RVSM maintenance manual
Our friends at Duncan Aviation gave us some advice this past Spring
2008 about the importance of using an RVSM manual for those aircraft
so authorized to operate in designated airspace. I think it bears
repeating because it is such a simple concept yet can cause extreme
hardship if not followed.
If your aircraft is RVSM certified, you are required to keep an RVSM
maintenance manual onboard the aircraft. In it, you will find
instructions on not only how to repair and inspect RVSM critical
components, but what special training and/or certifications are required
of the individuals working on your aircraft as well as the proper
procedures for returning the aircraft to service after RVSM maintenance.
For those of you who have had personal experience in obtaining a
Letter of Authorization (LOA) to obtain approval from the FAA to
operate in RVSM airspace, you know that creating and producing a
RVSM manual is required when petitioning the FAA for the LOA, as
well as ensuring it is onboard the aircraft and readily available
should RVSM system maintenance be required.
So, the tip is, if you responsible for an RVSM certified aircraft,
make sure your RVSM manual is onboard the aircraft, current and used
by yourself or outside vendors when conducting RVSM maintenance.
By the same token, if you work in a facility that has exposure to
many different aircraft and operators, recognize the RVSM system
requirements that need to be followed on these type aircraft and
be sure you have access to current and specific information for the
aircraft and component you are working on.
"Tech Tips"
Tech Tip #2- Communication
Communicate - Communicate - Communicate. It seems we are constantly
reminded of
this and when you think about it, rightfully so. It’s a simple
concept yet one that more
often than not is forgotten about or not given the proper consideration.
I would like to give you an example of communication that I used to
use when I was
turning wrenches as a Maintenance Supervisor on a CL-604.
My aircraft ’s owner was an individual who took considerable
interest in everything about
the aircraft. He would on several occasions ask me questions about
the aircraft and it’s
maintenance, especially when it came out of “major” maintenance
events, inspections,
modifications, etc. He wanted to know the aircraft ’s condition
? when it was taken apart,
did things look O.K.? Were there signs of corrosion?, fatigue?
Knowing his interest and desire to be informed, I would put together
a short, concise
report of the completed work package. When I could, I would include
pictures as well. I
would leave this on his chair in the aircraft cabin for his review
while on his next flight.
It was a good way to keep him informed yet remain in the background.
I knew if he had
questions, he would see me on his next trip out.
I’m sure some of you are doing this already. For others, you
may not ha ve the type of
owner that would want this. Perhaps you could question the owner as
to whether or not
he or she would like to have this type of communication or a variant
of it? At the least,
it’s just another example of the benefit and value of good
communication.
Tech Tip #1- Aircraft Manuals
This month’s tip is in reference to Aircraft Manuals. Each
of your aircraft should have a
list of all manuals and their current revision status that are carried
on-board the aircraft.
Included in this list would be aircraft flight, operating, performance
manuals etc. In
addition, any pilot guides and/or pilot operating manuals required
by an STC or a 337
should be on this list. While you’re at it, why not include
a list of all your flight manual
supplements? Having a copy of this list and having it carried on the
aircraft is a great way
of showing to anybody relevant to the aircraft operation that you take
seriously the
commitment to accurate aircraft records and running a first-class operation.
Think of the
impression you will make on the FAA inspector doing a ramp check on
your aircraft
when you can present him with this document. The only caution I will
give you is make
sure you keep the list current and accurate!! But that’s a
story for another day and time.
Hey, maybe I can use my maintenance tracking program to keep me current
with
reviewing my list?
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