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Inspections


Spectre

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I’ve worked for a couple operators who cheated on maintenance issues as a matter of routine. Some were major cheats that were downright illegal and potentially deadly…..

I tend to giggle when I hear someone say “I can do so-in-so task in X-amount of hours”. Why? The word, “meticulous” has no relation to time. Specifically, our DOM is the most meticulous mechanic I’ve ever worked with and why I am 1000% confident with our machines. When I witnessed this level of maintenance, it opened my eyes how maintenance should be done, but rarely is. Plus, with implementation of SMS, there is no longer any excuse to do each-and-every job -perfectly………

Quality maintenance is an art form, not a speed contest. Great helicopter mechanics are the true magicians of this business who can do more with their fingertips than they can with a wrench….. And the word “magician” is as seen in my eyes and not as an illusionist found on stage……

Edited by Spike
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Proficiency and efficiency does not equal bad work, that is quite a stretch to make.

 

Sure I could milk out an annual for 30 hours also taking smoke breaks, coffee breaks, constantly forgetting the right tool for the job....

 

43.15 c1 "Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall use a checklist while performing the inspection. The checklist may be of the person's own design, one provided by the manufacturer of the equipment being inspected or one obtained from another source. This checklist must include the scope and detail of the items contained in appendix D to this part and paragraph (B) of this section."

 

I've found manufacturer's checklists have you going back and forth a lot. Kind of like the difference between a flow and a check list for a pilot. Do the flow, then follow up with the check list.

 

I always love it when people say you must be skipping stuff or doing a half arse job just because you are efficient and proficient. How very small minded.

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Business 102:

As a customer, you get to pick two elements listed below……

 

1. On time delivery.
2. Quality product.
3. At a good price.

As a business, you’re not [very] profitable if allow all 3.... And a business transaction without a profit is just a misguided donation……….

Edited by Spike
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Negative Ghostrider, a business that can't deliver all three is operating amateur hour.

 

Guess you are ok with substandard service ?

 

"As a business, you’re not [very] profitable if allow all 3" - I'd love to see the supporting data for this claim.

 

I charge a premium rate for premium services and my customer's pay for it to be done on time - by the way, I set the schedule. I guess that's why I don't have a line of piece of crap aircraft outside my door and laundry list of horror stories. Most of my owner's are as meticulous with their records as I am with their maintenance.

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All 3 are part of a on going relatinship with your customer \ hopefully friend.

A sensable owner realises you have to make profit to survive & re equip, but expects in return for his £\$ he expects on time work done to a profesional standard.

If customers wants cut price work please go elsewere! we would not want them.

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The incidents I've cited weren't "a line of piece of crap aircraft outside my door." They were all different aircraft, different operators, different types of operations that ranged from government to airline to fractional, and others. They weren't lined outside my door. There is no shortage of such aircraft (and owner/operators) out there, however, nor is a "laundry list of horror stories." It's the real world, from a defense operator that left safety wire off a drain plug on a new engine on the first flight and lost the engine during the test hop, to the airline that falsified inspection records and used the wrong grease on a trim jackscrew.

 

A mechanic or repair station or individual inspector does need to give impeccable service and quality work at a good price, but "a good price" doesn't mean bargain rates. it means a fair price for the work performed, and good work comes at a premium.

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Based on your words......

Negative Ghostrider, a business that can't deliver all three is operating amateur hour.

I'd love to see the supporting data for this claim.

I charge a premium rate for premium services and my customer's pay for it to be done on time - by the way, I set the schedule. I guess that's why I don't have a line of piece of crap aircraft outside my door and laundry list of horror stories. Most of my owner's are as meticulous with their records as I am with their maintenance.


One can only assume the word “premium” is to mean “higher “as you didn’t say “discounted”, “fair”, “low-cost” or “reasonable”. I use the term “higher” as a possible comparison to your competition. Therefore, again, by your words, your customers pay a “premium” price for “on time”, “quality” service, ala 2 of the 3……

Obviously, here on the internet, we [all] are the best at what we do. This is the “handsome man theory” and a predictable stance as no one can prove otherwise especially here on VR, which by the way, is the epitome of amateur hour…….

If one has been around the block more than a few times, you know, prices are often undercut to gain the business. If not, the only way to increase the profitability of the transaction is to cut elsewhere. Elsewhere, means in quality or time…. And, all within acceptable “limits” although just not in the realm of perfection. This is why aviation as a whole is a, and has always been, low-profit endeavor……. Simply put, most of us WILL NOT be getting rich anytime soon..... If I did, I wouldn’t be hanging around here boasting about it...

In my opinion.....

Edited by Spike
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Nope still deliver all three that you stated On time, Quality and Good price. Good is relative to what you are paying for, paying lower price for lesser work does not equal good. Shops that discount their rates to get the work cut off their nose to spite their face. Nope, not getting rich anytime soon, I do very little mechanic work since gaining my Commercial Rotorcraft-Helicopter. I guess you could say the maintenance I do is more of the "my way or the highway" and the owner's I service wouldn't have it any other way. Now its been fun going back and forth stretching the limits of our known vernacular but the fun has run its course for me as I have nothing to prove.

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In all of this discussion, no one has pointed out that an the manufacturers maintenance program on the 500 calls for a 100 hour inspection and the manufacturers maintenance program on a C20 calls for an inspection every 150 hours, not 100. Are you saying 15 hours for an airframe only inspection? That seems very high, possible mind you, if things had been really mucked up.

 

Perhaps the OP is a pilot that thinks his mechanic is pencil whipping the inspection because he gets it done in a few hours? If it is a situation where you did the last 100 hour, and the one before, and the one before, and they are only 2-4 weeks apart, Its not going to take very long unless you run into issues.

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