14.11.2012 Views

Amateur-built and experimental aircraft - Australian Transport Safety ...

Amateur-built and experimental aircraft - Australian Transport Safety ...

Amateur-built and experimental aircraft - Australian Transport Safety ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

3.10.4 Maintenance comments<br />

Thirty-five people made comments in relation to maintenance. These comments<br />

generally clarified the approach taken by the builder or operator. The comments fell<br />

roughly into three areas; knowledge <strong>and</strong> skills, options <strong>and</strong> control over<br />

maintenance, <strong>and</strong> transitions to other <strong>aircraft</strong> registers. Not all comments are<br />

included, but indicative comments are shown below.<br />

Transitions from VH- register<br />

One person wrote:<br />

I have recently moved this <strong>aircraft</strong> from the VH register to Recreational<br />

Aviation Australia. This was in order to do my own maintenance.<br />

Control <strong>and</strong> accreditation<br />

One owner with concerns about oversight of sport aviation stated:<br />

I am concerned at the growth of the ‘ cheque book’ builders <strong>and</strong> the practice of<br />

rewarding them with the right to maintain their <strong>aircraft</strong> as a part of the<br />

<strong>experimental</strong> certificate, indeed the emerging expectation of the maintenance<br />

rights for second <strong>and</strong> subsequent owners without any formalised training or at<br />

best the most minimalist training available.<br />

Another person stated:<br />

I would like to see an accreditation system in place for suitably trained or<br />

qualified persons (owners) to maintain <strong>experimental</strong> <strong>aircraft</strong> they have not <strong>built</strong>,<br />

that is, second h<strong>and</strong> owners of <strong>experimental</strong> <strong>aircraft</strong>.<br />

One person commented on the process where maintenance <strong>and</strong> major changes cross<br />

over:<br />

By performing my own maintenance, I can make absolutely certain that no<br />

alterations are carried out on the structure <strong>and</strong> aerodynamics, without Reg 35<br />

approval. The big thing is not to rely on an approved workshops <strong>and</strong> their hefty<br />

charges <strong>and</strong> questionable work.<br />

Knowledge <strong>and</strong> skills<br />

Speaking of the difference between building <strong>and</strong> maintaining an <strong>aircraft</strong>, one person<br />

commented:<br />

Just because you <strong>built</strong> it, doesn’t mean you have the expertise to maintain it.<br />

Most builders I know are prudent in gaining professional advice regarding<br />

maintenance if they are unsure of their skills in a certain area. One thing<br />

building teaches you is ‘how much you don’t know’…a very valuable lesson.<br />

The picture that emerges from maintenance data in this report is that there are three<br />

groups of people. There are those who get all maintenance done by a LAME, those<br />

who do all maintenance themselves, <strong>and</strong> those who involve a team of people. Some<br />

people are not interested in performing maintenance, while other people, not<br />

currently performing maintenance, are looking for the education that might allow<br />

them to perform their own maintenance, particularly for second-h<strong>and</strong> <strong>aircraft</strong>.<br />

- 107 -

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!