A total rip off
Has anyone else been subjected to an invoice for "Continued Airworthy Management Services" ? This unannounced invoice in respect of a Public Cat. PA28 that only one month ago had an invoice of over £4000 for its annual, arrived in the post today. No warning just pay £460 for allowing us, the maintenance organisation, to carryout works through the year on your aircraft, for which of course you will be invoiced additionally and seperately!!! Has the world of light aviation gone completely mad, are the authorities with their new maintenance contracts encouraging what is without doubt a total rip off. Am I alone in thinking the time is near when it will just be too costly to own an aircraft that has been subjected to constant care and attention over past years, is it time to cut and run?
The invoice states the following are the maintenance organisations responsibilities and for these they are demanding £400 (convenient lump figure) plus VAT total £460 The narrative states "To carry out continued airworthy management for the period 15/5/09 to 14/5/10".
It is worthy of note that since the 15th of May I have paid the organisation £3614 plus a further £130 for the radio work on the aircraft and am mindful that a check is shortly due, the average cost of which is normally around £500.
Justification for the "bolt from the blue" is given as below
1 Aircraft to be within the scope of approval . 2 Organisation to apply all the requirements for continuing airworthiness. 3 Aircraft to be maintained to lamp and provide a copy to owner. 4 To advise the owner when maintenance is due. 5 To comply with all airworthy directives and service bulletins. 6 Rectify all defects reported by owner or discovered during maintenance. 7 Comply with requirements of Life Limited parts or inspections of component parts. 8 Maintain all technical records, log books and worksheets. 9 Comply with EASA part 21 in respect of modifications and repairs. 10 Inform the CAA when aircraft is not presented for the required scheduled maintenance or if the contracted arrangement is not respected. 11 Comply with CAP 393 in respect of reportable occurences. 12 Carry out airworthiness review of craft and its records and issue ARC with copy to CAA. 13 Advise CAA whenever the arrangement is denounced by either party.
I feel most folk will agree that 99% of this list is the format against which all aircraft servicing has been handled for the past God knows how many years. It is of course listed as a justification for the presentation of an invoice that requires no additional input from the maintenance company outside of their normal remit when servicing aircraft.
Last edited by thesandfly; 31st Jul 2009 at 22:42.