Page 16 - April22T

Moving On Up
Introduction to Jet Maintenance by Elliott Cox
Let’s just get it right out of the way: Jets are more expensive to maintain than piston twins. And they say writing is difficult.
I have a little bit of space left, so let’s go over some examples of how people keep their kerosene burning speed machines legal and safe. As with most things in life, many options vary widely in cost and convenience, and there are probably nearly as many arrangements as there are airplanes, so this list is far from comprehensive.
Be Your Own Maintenance Manager
If you have the time and a basic grasp of how the mainte- nance world works, you can manage your own maintenance. There are thousands of parts, inspections and life-limited components to keep track of and a simple Excel spread- sheet just won’t do. Turbine owners live and die by these intervals so you’re going to have to invest in a maintenance
14 • TWIN & TURBINE / April 2022
PHOTOS BY AUTHOR
tracking service like CAMP, FlightDocs, or Traxxall, to name a few. These subscriptions aren’t inexpensive, but the service they provide is essential to having a solid grasp on the health and status of your airplane. Most services will provide you with a free trial period so you can work with several of them to see which one suits you best.
The interface with these services couldn’t be simpler. You’ll input the current hours and landings into the ap- propriate spaces, and it’ll spit out a “due list,” which will list the items that are due or will become due within the timeframe you specify. Maintenance tracking services are like crystal balls (without the bead curtain) that can save you plenty of downtime, money, and frustration when you use them properly.
When you have inspections or tasks due in the next several months, you need to have your slot secured with the service center of your choice sooner rather than later.