Overhauling Eurocopter Seatbelts?
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Overhauling Eurocopter Seatbelts?
Hi,
My biz partner just had a quote for £13000 plus vat for fitted new Seatbelts to an EC120 as they are a time life item (it seems). Is there a way of having them tested/re webbed/fireproofed and saving some of that incredible cost that's been quoted?
I see some firms in Oz and NZ offering the service, but just wondered is there anyone closer to home.....
My biz partner just had a quote for £13000 plus vat for fitted new Seatbelts to an EC120 as they are a time life item (it seems). Is there a way of having them tested/re webbed/fireproofed and saving some of that incredible cost that's been quoted?
I see some firms in Oz and NZ offering the service, but just wondered is there anyone closer to home.....
Last edited by irish seaplane; 4th Mar 2013 at 10:06.
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Interesting. It would seem from looking at this 120 which has an expertly prepared brochure/maintenance statement:
http://www.avbuyer.com/pdfs/EC120B%2...ech%20Spec.pdf
That the Seatbelts are a six month inspection item, rather that a hard life replacement item.
Does that tally with a MM revision, or a SB re affirming the life of them I wonder?
http://www.avbuyer.com/pdfs/EC120B%2...ech%20Spec.pdf
That the Seatbelts are a six month inspection item, rather that a hard life replacement item.
Does that tally with a MM revision, or a SB re affirming the life of them I wonder?
Hmm, one UK EC120 owner who I spoke with was understandably bothered by the price managed to work out who the manufacturer was and approached them direct and paid about £25 per belt. I think they are near Heathrow if memory serves? This was a couple of years ago.
So, let's get this right...............
Cost from manufacturer = 5x£25 = £125
Re-Sell to gullible customer = £13,000
So, let's get this right...............
Cost from manufacturer = 5x£25 = £125
Re-Sell to gullible customer = £13,000
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May not be overly convenient for you guys, but there is a company called GJ's Aircraft Products out of Winnipeg, Manitoba that I've used for years with very quick turn around times for seat belts.
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EC120 seat belts
I had to renew mine a couple of years ago. I was quoted a silly price by EC.
The cheapest way to do this is:
Rear Belts: contact the manufacturer Amsafe at their Heathrow office. They can reweb the belts for about £25 per belt (so a rear belt is 3 x £25 + the retraction overhaul) This take a few weeks, so if you are in a rush pay the AOG fee as well.
Front Belts: these are made by Pacific Scientific. Their Heathrow office charges a silly price, so I sent mine to their Miami office - takes about a week. If you don't want to be grounded, send the front belts one set at a time.
The cheapest way to do this is:
Rear Belts: contact the manufacturer Amsafe at their Heathrow office. They can reweb the belts for about £25 per belt (so a rear belt is 3 x £25 + the retraction overhaul) This take a few weeks, so if you are in a rush pay the AOG fee as well.
Front Belts: these are made by Pacific Scientific. Their Heathrow office charges a silly price, so I sent mine to their Miami office - takes about a week. If you don't want to be grounded, send the front belts one set at a time.
Fluffed up belt
I found the webbing on an old belt on a Bell 206 was fluffed up so much that it jammed in the adjustment mechanism and so was not possible to adjust it whilst it was across ones lap.
On speaking to the manufacturer of the belt they said it was many years beyond what they consider to be its useful life, but that it was not illegal to keep a belt beyond the manufacturers "use by" date as it was a "on inspection" item on Bells.
Not wishing to spend $125 on a replacement the company suggested that ironing the synthetic belt would compress the fluff!
To be legal a belt must be easily adjusted once it is clasped across ones lap, so in THAT respect it was not airworthy and replaced.
Are there other parts of a helicopter where "on inspection" can overide manufacturer's gaurantees or advice?
Mickjoebill
On speaking to the manufacturer of the belt they said it was many years beyond what they consider to be its useful life, but that it was not illegal to keep a belt beyond the manufacturers "use by" date as it was a "on inspection" item on Bells.
Not wishing to spend $125 on a replacement the company suggested that ironing the synthetic belt would compress the fluff!
To be legal a belt must be easily adjusted once it is clasped across ones lap, so in THAT respect it was not airworthy and replaced.
Are there other parts of a helicopter where "on inspection" can overide manufacturer's gaurantees or advice?
Mickjoebill
Last edited by mickjoebill; 6th Mar 2013 at 00:27.
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Just saved £13000 plus vat
Put it up to the maintenance company that they were asking us to approve spending £13K unnecessarily and trying to pull a fast one. Backed up our claim with the relevant inspection notice reference further upstream.
The conceded, and said that that document was only just published "last friday would you believe....." and hence we were both right but since it's now been published you are indeed correct the belts will be fine once inspected.
Well done PPrune. Nice to get a little victory like that!
The conceded, and said that that document was only just published "last friday would you believe....." and hence we were both right but since it's now been published you are indeed correct the belts will be fine once inspected.
Well done PPrune. Nice to get a little victory like that!
Irish Seaplane
Glad you saved yourself some dosh, but I am not sure we should be smiling
We pay maintenance organisations to 'manage' the maintenance including organising and overseeing any subcontractors. The maintenance organisation may be entitled to 'charge you hansomly' and charge handling fees and annual fees which are disproportionate to the cost. But I wonder if the lawyers share my concern that they can't simply get a subcontractor to do the work and put naughts on the bill.
I wonder where duty of care comes in. ie duty of care with your money. And if they don't tell you they are marking it up like this isn't there a question of clarity???
Don't suppose the CEO of any of these organisations would care to post a defence - anonymously of course!!!!
Glad you saved yourself some dosh, but I am not sure we should be smiling
We pay maintenance organisations to 'manage' the maintenance including organising and overseeing any subcontractors. The maintenance organisation may be entitled to 'charge you hansomly' and charge handling fees and annual fees which are disproportionate to the cost. But I wonder if the lawyers share my concern that they can't simply get a subcontractor to do the work and put naughts on the bill.
I wonder where duty of care comes in. ie duty of care with your money. And if they don't tell you they are marking it up like this isn't there a question of clarity???
Don't suppose the CEO of any of these organisations would care to post a defence - anonymously of course!!!!
