Own a Private jet? Know Important Maintenance Events in its Lifecycle

Availing a private aircraft charter comes with a bundle of benefits and can help you save time, and avoid inconveniences. That said, if you’re someone who hates getting in touch with a service provider every time to book private jet charter or spend more than 300 hours travelling by air, investing in a private jet rather than booking charter flights makes more sense. At Leviate Air, we not only help you book private jet charters in Dallas, TX conveniently, but also offer consultation services, sell private jets, and can help you arrive at prudent purchase decisions. An aircraft is complex machine  requiring regular maintenance to avoid inconveniences and accidents. The purpose of this blog is to educate private jet owners on three important maintenance events in the lifecycle of a plane. Planning and executing these maintenance events at regular intervals help owners identify issues at their onset and take proactive steps to avoid costly problems. Read on to learn more.

Basic Maintenance

Basic maintenance is an ongoing process. Your maintenance contractor/subcontractor will inspect the engine to evaluate its condition, check lubricant levels, report dysfunctionally low levels of oil, and also check other critical components. The maintenance team will also maintain different reports to help plan maintenance activities accordingly.

Stage# Hot section inspection (HSI)

Most aircraft manufacturers recommend a minimum number of flight hours before overhauling its parts, including the engine (commonly known as Time Between Overhaul). As the TBO for your aircraft approaches, your maintenance partner will conduct what is commonly known as a ‘hot section inspection’. HSI times for different aircraft will vary anywhere between 1,500-2,000 hours or more, depending on the model.

What is done?

During this stage, the maintenance team checks the hot section, which includes components that are subject to high pressure and temperatures. Some components that the contractor will evaluate are- air compressors, combustion chambers, compression turbines, turbine-shroud segments, and temperature sensors. The purpose of this activity is to make sure that hot section components are capable of producing the required power. Those that do not conform to standards will fail to serve their purpose and must be replaced immediately.

That said, you can ignore minor problems such as development of insignificant cracks in stationary parts, or rotating/ceramic components that are in the primary stage of deterioration and do not drag down the power plant’s (aircraft engine and propeller)performance.

HSI is less cost-intensive and disruptive as compared to a complete overhaul, and in some cases, an aircraft will return back to active duty within a couple of days.

Stage# full overhaul

If the HSI reveals serious problems, your maintenance contractor must conduct a detailed investigation. They must follow a comprehensive process, which includes disassembling the components, examining each part thoroughly, repairing/replacing the defective ones, reassembling them, and testing by conducting trial runs before they’re put back in operation. The maintenance team will conduct X-ray inspections, dye-penetration tests, and eddy current electronic inspections (the use of electromagnetic induction to inspect flaws in conductive materials) to evaluate the components’ condition.

What is done?

Full overhaul consists of two processes:

Top overhaul

Top overhaul involves the inspection of parts located out of the crank space. The process doesn’t require disassembling the engine completely and includes the inspection and repair of cylinders and their walls, pistons, valve guides, and piston rings. The maintenance team, after replacing dysfunctional parts and repairing serviceable ones, will make sure they conform to manufacturer standards before you can use the aircraft.

Major overhaul

As the name suggests, this is a more detailed process among the two. The maintenance team disassembles the engine completely, inspects the different parts, repairs faulty ones, and reassembles it. Next, the experts will test the parts to make sure they comply with the manufacturer fits and limits (in the overhaul data).

Bottom line

While availing aircraft maintenance services, make sure the provider has a Federal Aviation Administration certified facility and provides a full range of services, including engine installation, engine testing, and complete overhaul. You also need to be very careful when investing in a private jet by preferring a reputable provider with a proven track record of adhering to the highest safety standards. At Leviate Air, we specialize in aircraft sales and acquisitions and can help you find the right aircraft for your travel needs. Call us at (877) 720-2770 or fill out our contact form for more  information or book charter flights.