Maintenance - Progressive Inspections
Most aircraft manufacturers publish progressive inspection schedules for their aircraft. The general rule of thumb is an aircraft must fly a minimum 200 hours per year to make going the progressive route worthwhile.
Typically, a progressive inspection plan divides the 100 hour inspection into 4 separate phases with each phase targeting a different set of components and systems. The inspection interval is usually every 50 hours, which just happens to nicely coincide with oil change intervals. Since each inspection phase targets only a portion of the aircraft, turnaround is very rapid and the cost savings in down time can be significant.
One of the side benefits of going the progressive route is that we get to see your airplane more often and as a result have a greater chance of finding and fixing small snags before they become big events. Usually, an aircraft on progressive maintenance can be in and out in as little as half a day for any single inspection phase.
If you’re interested in putting your aircraft on a progressive maintenance plan, you’ll require Transport Canada approval, a change to your maintenance manual and a fully completed 100 hour inspection with no outstanding snags. We’re familiar with both the Cessna and Piper progressive plans and we can assist you in developing a proposal for Transport Canada.
Call us if you’d like more information on putting your aircraft on a progressive maintenance plan.