Aircraft maintenance planning procedures Research Paper

Aircraft maintenance planning procedures - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the definition of the technical log as an aircraft document detailing the maintenance status of the aircraft. The document must always be carried whenever the aircraft takes to flight. The document carries information regarding the maintenance performed on the aircraft. Aircraft safety regulations, across the globe, dictate that procedural maintenance should be performed on aircraft within specified periods of time. The operation of undertaking procedural maintenance varies with the classification of aircraft. Upon completion of the maintenance procedure, a record should be kept regarding the activity performed. This record forms the aircraft’s technical log. The record ought to contain all maintenance activities performed on the aircraft. The importance of maintaining this record remains to create a reference point for further maintenance procedures. Through referring to the technical log, an aviation engineer could identify the maintenance proce dures performed on the aircraft. The technical log could essentially assist the maintenance team in assessing and defining the time when an aircraft might require routine maintenance. The information assists operators to predict the usability of an aircraft based on the last known maintenance procedure performed on the aircraft. Â  The certification of technical logs remains the duty of aviation authorities within different countries. These authorities fall under airworthiness authorities recognised internationally. Airworthiness authorities remain the sole certifiers of the information contained in aircrafts’ technical logs. b) How is data recorded, kept where? The data is recorded using automated systems installed within the aircraft. After carrying out maintenance procedures, the engineers undertaking the activities record all function performed on the aircraft. This information remains stored in the technical log. The information recorded indicates the operation undertaken and any new components installed within the aircraft. c) Maintenance schedule: who creates it?, who approves it?, types on maintenance check, flight hours and cycles, work pack, job cards maintenance records. A maintenance schedule could be defined as a timetable for carrying out routine maintenance procedures on aircrafts. Airline operators create the maintenance schedule programmes for their commercial and civil aircrafts, and then present them to the airworthiness authorities for approval (Raoul Castro, p121). Aircraft maintenance checks could be defined as periodic inspections performed on all commercial and civil aircrafts following specified periods of usage. Military aircrafts, however, contain different maintenance programmes specifically designed for special military capabilities. In aircraft maintenance, four types of checks exist namely; check A to D. Checks A and B are light checks while the other two are heavy checks. These checks occur periodically through specified timings. Flight hours could be marked by the number of hours that an aircraft remains in flight. Calculation occurs between the time of taking-off and that of landing. An aircraft cycle could be defined as the taking-off and landing of an aircraft. Each take-off and landing comprises a single cycle (Speciale, p156). Work pack could be defined as a combination of activities to be undertaken by an individual. It forms the basis for supervising a person’s work delivery. A job card, on the other hand, could be defined as a printed card showing details of the duty performed by a person. They clearly define the duties performed by each individual. The documentation detailing the