Aircraft have no tolerance to neglect as they require continuous inspection and maintenance software like Aviation Intertec to ensure their safety. Several processes negatively affect aircraft, for example, chance failures like tire burst and deterioration due to age factors like wear, tear, and corrosion.
There are various definitions that describe aircraft maintenance that help individuals understand the various aspects of maintenance like;
Aircraft maintenance is the actions required to restore and maintain the aircraft in a serviceable state like; carrying out the needed servicing, repairs, modifications, condition determination, inspections, and overhaul. Maintenance is conducted to sustain and restore the performance and integrity of the aircraft.
All the maintenance processes are carried out to ensure that all the aircraft systems always perform their intended functions as they were designed for them to be safe and reliable.
Activities
Aircraft maintenance is the process that includes all the technical activities carried out on aircraft to ensure its base maintenance is maintained. The whole process is intended to ensure the state of the aircraft meets the set standards to receive the certificate and license of operation. The various reasons why aircraft maintenance is carried out are;
Continually maintain the aircraft worthiness and safety
Aircraft maintenance services are vital to the operators as they ensure they meet all the set schedules. They maximize the utilization and value of the aircraft as an asset increasing the owner’s benefits.
Maintenance consists of corrective and preventive measures like the precautionary measures implemented to check the possible undetected and possible system failures. Through the maintenance process, monitoring of the system is conducted to measure the wearing out process while considering;
Scheduling preventive measures that anticipate and take care of the system failures
Repair and maintenance services are scheduled to ensure all the schedules are conditioned and met at the right time. Preventive work needs to be worthwhile and different conditions met for proper maintenance to be achieved.
- To consider a maintenance process successful the aircraft must be restored to its initial state or reliability or even better.
- The attractive maintenance costs are supposed to be less than the actual failure that is to be prevented.
Light Maintenance
The included pre-flight routine checks to ensure the required fluids and failure rectifications are conducted to cater to the minor issues through progressive maintenance. Light maintenance is undertaken to guarantee the safety of the aircraft for the scheduled flight.
Troubleshooting
Defect Rectification
Relevant component replacements are scheduled and taken care of, like propellers and engines if required for proper system maintenance. For the right part, replacement external testing is conducted. The maintenance schedules include visual inspections desired to detect the existent and expected failures and determine the maintenance level required. Maintenance involves internal and external aircraft structures that require quick opening to access doors.
The repairs and maintenance procedures that require minimal dissembling are accomplished using the most straightforward means available. Through the quality manager, the maintenance organization gives the go-ahead and issues the relevant requirements that are to be fulfilled for each maintenance process.
Base Maintenance
It is also known as heavy maintenance, and it entails time-intensive tasks and is performed less often. Various maintenance, overhaul, and repair companies have extensive facilities with specialized equipment and highly skilled staff that undertake the entire base maintenance procedures. Most aircraft owners contract the services. Some of the involved activities are;
· The C and D checks carefully check for any deterioration of the aircraft frames, engine, and systems that suffer fatigue and corrosion.
· Removing defects- primarily conducted during the line maintenance stage to determine the worthiness of the aircraft.
· Technological upgrades- conducted to install the warning systems
Component Maintenance
It covers component maintenance when they are ejected from the aircraft, like engines and seats. The same contracted companies can offer the services or be outsourced and carried out at the base maintenance.
Maintenance Intervals
Different intervals are created through the maintenance schedules based on the maintenance planning document, and they are set depending on the provided criteria. The intervals are set mainly based on the damage levels that are detectable and predicted system failure.
Hard Time
It is a preventive process that the known deterioration of any item is restricted to acceptable maintenance protocols. It is conducted at different intervals to ensure complete solution and maintenance.
On-Condition
It is a preventive process that involves inspection or testing at various intervals at the relevant standards to determine if the aircraft needs to continue for the maintenance services. The set-up inspections reveal all the required maintenance actions. The main aim of on-condition maintenance is to remove any system part before it fails.
Condition Monitoring
All information gathered from the monitoring processes is collected, analyzed, and interpreted continually to decide if the corrective procedure implementations are required. The whole process is automated and is part of the onboard health management system of aircraft.
In conclusion, aircraft maintenance intervals are designed from different intervals like flight hours, flight cycles, calendar time, and operating hours. Aircraft maintenance is carried out to maintain the aircraft’s value and ensure uninterrupted services of the scheduled time.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.