Infrequently flown turbine aircraft
Infrequently flown turbine aircraft
We know that piston powered aircraft like to be flown weekly if not daily. Cylinder bores rust and bearings become dry etc.
Do turbine powered aircraft suffer the same problems from infrequent use. there is now a large number of turbine aircraft in PVT use, Meridians, PC-12, TBM-850's, Citation CJ's etc.
recently I saw a Cessna survey that said many of the owner flown CJ's manage to get as little as 30 hrs a year in the air. Can this cause a problem?
Do turbine powered aircraft suffer the same problems from infrequent use. there is now a large number of turbine aircraft in PVT use, Meridians, PC-12, TBM-850's, Citation CJ's etc.
recently I saw a Cessna survey that said many of the owner flown CJ's manage to get as little as 30 hrs a year in the air. Can this cause a problem?
Not sure about the lighter types, but most airliners in corporate or infrequent use run on a different maintenance schedule, which, paradoxically, requires more maintenance.
At one stage I was flying an aircraft once a week on a local jolly, just so the owner didn't have to put it into storage.
At one stage I was flying an aircraft once a week on a local jolly, just so the owner didn't have to put it into storage.
Always so many variables.
Is the aircraft parked outside in a tropical coastal location?
Or in a heated hangar somewhere inland?
Turbine engined aircraft still have hoses, oil seals, ignition systems, hydraulic valves etc that will suffer from a lack of regular use. Fuel tanks dry out, or the dreaded bug gets into them. Etc etc.
Better to fly it one hour a week than let it sit for two months and fly eight hours in the one day. These things run to millions of dollars, so what's a bit of fuel in the name of tlc ?
If some owner driver is only flying a light jet 30 hours a year, unless he has plenty of prior relevant experience he will probably suffer from a proficiency problem, too.
Is the aircraft parked outside in a tropical coastal location?
Or in a heated hangar somewhere inland?
Turbine engined aircraft still have hoses, oil seals, ignition systems, hydraulic valves etc that will suffer from a lack of regular use. Fuel tanks dry out, or the dreaded bug gets into them. Etc etc.
Better to fly it one hour a week than let it sit for two months and fly eight hours in the one day. These things run to millions of dollars, so what's a bit of fuel in the name of tlc ?
If some owner driver is only flying a light jet 30 hours a year, unless he has plenty of prior relevant experience he will probably suffer from a proficiency problem, too.
Last edited by Mach E Avelli; 29th Jul 2013 at 01:41.
