Aircraft Maintenance - 50 hr check

[ArrowIVdriver]

Hello all, have in the last year finally scratched the ownership itch and after a summer of flying my 50 hour/6 month check is due (Arrow IV). The annual and extensive updates/modifications was carried out by a reputable Piper Service centre, in May/June which I was happy with.

Is the 50 hour/6 month check something I can do? and or request/pay the above service centre (or similar) to go through with me? Not that I really want to save a few ££, but would like to get more familiar with the checks and where certain items/components are. Also what would I expect to pay?

Any feedback, constructive comments most welcome!:O

[Johnm]

You can do this yourself and there are lists available of the work to be done, which is not a lot really. Mainly oil and filter changes and spark plug checks.

The old LAMP documents are a good place to start.

If you get the Piper shop to do it it'll cost around £350 plus vat and consumables I should imagine.

[S-Works]

I always do my own 50hr checks unless there is a lived job that needs doing at the same time where the engineers need to sign off. It takes me a morning to do the check with the oil and filter etc. Doing it myself allows me to keep a watchful eye on things and it works in harmony with the engineers doing the annual.

[Ultranomad]

There is one subtle point: if the registered owner of the aircraft is a legal entity, even if it's a one-man company established solely for the purpose of aircraft ownership, then the pilot-owner maintenance clause no longer applies. UK CAA used to disregard it, but this year they forced me to contract an engineer to sign off the 50-hour check. If anyone managed to convince them otherwise, please describe how you did it!

[A and C]

The biggest problem with doing a 50 hour check is not the inspection but what you find on that inspection, established private owners like Bose-x say they can do a 50 hour check in a morning, this is simply not true as the inspection plus oil & filter change as well as brake linings, AD's & SB's if required take a lot longer than a morning.

It is my suspicion that the 50 hour that Bose-x is doing is only an oil/filter change as well as a bit of lubrication, the other items required are done on an opertunity basis each time he flys the aircraft with a bit of tinkering as a carefull owner would, Bose-x undoubtedly maintains his aircraft well, it is his accounting for time spent maintaining it that I think is suspect !

Returning to a 50 hour on the Arrow off the top of my head you will need a Torque wrench, oil filter socket, spark plug socket, brake re-lining tool, right angle grease gun, compressed air, oil filter splitter, the correct grade of grease for the airframe, Prop, oil filter washer, brake pins Ect. A second grease gun if the prop is a type that requires lubrication, locking wire, hydraulic fluid for brakes & landing gear. You should also have a took kit with a good selection of American spanners & sockets as well as the normal hand tools.

Parts required, oil filter, scavenge filter crush washer, brake linings & rivets,air filter, and may be depending on inspection Vac system main and regulator filter.

Having delt with the tooling you need the aircraft maintenance manual and most important some trainning from someone who knows the aircraft type, it will take all day to do the check the first time providing you don't find anything wrong.... Remember the aim of inspecting aircraft is to find things that are wrong on the ground before you find them in the air.

[Flyingmac]

Parts required, oil filter, scavenge filter crush washer, brake linings &
rivets,air filter, and may be depending on inspection Vac system main and
regulator filter.

We are talking about a 50hr CHECK here, aren't we?

[A and C]

Yes a 50 hour check

You will need a full flow oil filter, the crush washer is required for the scavenge filter that should be inspected at the 50 hour. Depend any on type you will need an air filter at the first or second 50 hour of the check cycle.

Brakes are subject to inspection but average UK use will see a set of brake linings being used within the 50 hour check cycle. It also follows you will need the rivets if you change the brake linings.

Vac filters are also subject to condition inspection with a 500 hour life on the main filter, the regulator filter is also subject to inspection, it depends on the operating conditions the aircraft is subject to as to the life of these items.

You are also likely to need a few lamps for the internal lighting.

Anything I have missed ?

You have to remember it is perfectly OK to release an aircraft from an Annual check with brakes, tyres, air filter and Vac filters that are fit to go to the next check.......that check will be a 50 hour and so the owner has to assume that he may have to change some, all or none of these items as the usage of the aircraft requires.

[alex59]

Can somebody please explain?

My Germany based but G registered SR22 is due for the anual at June 19. Since I have flown 91 hours in the last year I will do the 50 h inspection 4 weeks BEFORE the annual / ARC renewal. Do I have to do the 50 h items again at the annual or will the Part 145 shop that does the annual (by work order from my UK CAMO, RGV) accept that the 50 h items are done already. How is that done?

[Ultranomad]

alex59, I don't quite understand your logic - why exactly are you expecting to do a 50-hour check 4 weeks before the annual?
In any event, according to CAP766, you are allowed up to 10% extension on a 50-hour inspection - that is, you can defer it by up to 5 hours extra. On the other hand, you are allowed a 30-day variation on an annual, too, so you can just do the annual 4 weeks earlier than you are required to, and it won't affect your next year's annual.

[md 600 driver]

Isn't it a 50 hour or 6 months whichever comes first ?
Can a 6 months be extended?

[Ultranomad]

md 600 driver, that's right. The 6-month interval can be extended by up to 15 days. For more juicy details read CAP 766 for aeroplanes or CAP 767 for helicopters.

[Mach Jump]

...The 6-month interval can be extended by up to 15 days...

Just worth noting here that you can only extend either the hours, or the days. Not both at the same time.


MJ:ok:

[ericferret]

Also note you cannot extend an AD. So if one is due it must be carried out on time.