Helicopter Maintenance SOPs
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Helicopter Maintenance SOPs
Apologies for my first post being a question/request for help but here goes anyway.....
I'm doing some research into Maintenance Standard Operating Procedures and the shocking incident in Norway this week sparked an interest in the field of Helicopter Maintenance.
Does anyone have such a thing that they could share with me? I'm not after any confidential information or anything, I'm more interested in the structure/level of detail/inbuilt checklists etc.
Thanks in advance.
I'm doing some research into Maintenance Standard Operating Procedures and the shocking incident in Norway this week sparked an interest in the field of Helicopter Maintenance.
Does anyone have such a thing that they could share with me? I'm not after any confidential information or anything, I'm more interested in the structure/level of detail/inbuilt checklists etc.
Thanks in advance.
What exactly do you mean by SOP's, as far as Maintenance is concerned?
Each OEM supplies the Maintenance Manual and each OEM has a different philosophy on how and when certain inspections should be done, as each OEM designs and manufactures their helicopters differently.
Sikorsky use shims everywhere and flight control bearings come "pre-worn".
Agusta/Finmeccanica/Leonardo have heavy well built transmissions but the airframes are built light and seem to crack.
Airbus are easy to take apart and put back together, but you end up doing that on nearly every inspection.
Bell are Ok to work on, but not as easy to work on as Airbus.
MD are just horrible
Tongue in cheek generalisations there, but you get the idea of how different each OEM is.
The standards for how maintenance is carried out in each country is defined by the local Airworthiness Authority (facility/experience on type etc).
So what, exactly, are you after?
Each OEM supplies the Maintenance Manual and each OEM has a different philosophy on how and when certain inspections should be done, as each OEM designs and manufactures their helicopters differently.
Sikorsky use shims everywhere and flight control bearings come "pre-worn".
Agusta/Finmeccanica/Leonardo have heavy well built transmissions but the airframes are built light and seem to crack.
Airbus are easy to take apart and put back together, but you end up doing that on nearly every inspection.
Bell are Ok to work on, but not as easy to work on as Airbus.
MD are just horrible
Tongue in cheek generalisations there, but you get the idea of how different each OEM is.
The standards for how maintenance is carried out in each country is defined by the local Airworthiness Authority (facility/experience on type etc).
So what, exactly, are you after?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you Noooby, thats most helpful. Helimutt you couldn't be further away from the truth. I'm both a qualified fixed wing pilot and an experienced business transformation consultant who was attracted to this event just like so many others. I also own a software business that does something rather special with Standard Operating Procedures in a number of other industries.
I'd also like to say that I'm about as comfortable in selling a story to the press as I would be stroking a dog backwards. Suffice to say that this is not my reason for asking the question.
In most industries equipment is purchased from the OEM and the business use both the OEMs manuals and their own experience/expertise to construct a catalogue of Standard Operating Procedures or (Standard Maintenance Procedures I guess you could call them).
As I have no involvement in the aviation maintenance world but a large involvement in many other industries I was curious to know how this worked. I guessed that it would be heavily regulated in much the same was as say the pharmaceutical industry.
The bit I was trying to understand more than any other is "How does the maintenance professional translate WHAT has to be done into HOW I'm going to do it, (the method if you like)". It sounds very much like this is information is also provided by the OEM.
Thanks once again for the input......and once again I'm not trying to obtain a story for sale to tomorrows chip wrapper.
I'd also like to say that I'm about as comfortable in selling a story to the press as I would be stroking a dog backwards. Suffice to say that this is not my reason for asking the question.
In most industries equipment is purchased from the OEM and the business use both the OEMs manuals and their own experience/expertise to construct a catalogue of Standard Operating Procedures or (Standard Maintenance Procedures I guess you could call them).
As I have no involvement in the aviation maintenance world but a large involvement in many other industries I was curious to know how this worked. I guessed that it would be heavily regulated in much the same was as say the pharmaceutical industry.
The bit I was trying to understand more than any other is "How does the maintenance professional translate WHAT has to be done into HOW I'm going to do it, (the method if you like)". It sounds very much like this is information is also provided by the OEM.
Thanks once again for the input......and once again I'm not trying to obtain a story for sale to tomorrows chip wrapper.
"Business transformation consultant"...Asset stripper?
The aircraft maintenance principles are basically the same as those of the nuclear or oil industries. The mechanics of most aircraft are not really that different to modern cars except that there is a lot more investigation and monitoring than cars and trucks.
Strangely, while we do all that monitoring and double checking, we appear to end up with less reliable transport due to self reporting process of faults found by both engineers and pilots.
If any preferred methods are required - you can bet that they are specified in the relevant maintenance manuals.
A complete "Maintenance Manual" for something like the 225 can run to approx 25-30 binders of 200 pages.
At one time, many, many moons ago, a maintenance manual was treated as a Guide...it is now treated as 'the Bible'.
The aircraft maintenance principles are basically the same as those of the nuclear or oil industries. The mechanics of most aircraft are not really that different to modern cars except that there is a lot more investigation and monitoring than cars and trucks.
Strangely, while we do all that monitoring and double checking, we appear to end up with less reliable transport due to self reporting process of faults found by both engineers and pilots.
If any preferred methods are required - you can bet that they are specified in the relevant maintenance manuals.
A complete "Maintenance Manual" for something like the 225 can run to approx 25-30 binders of 200 pages.
At one time, many, many moons ago, a maintenance manual was treated as a Guide...it is now treated as 'the Bible'.
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Behind a dusty desk, and in some really hot, dusty, wet and cold places subject to who is paying the bill. But mostly Gods own land.
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Grant1978,
if you are looking into how maintenance is conducted then a step back from the physical act of maintenance is maintenance planning, or more importantly Continued Airworthiness and the relationship between the organisation responsible for the airworthiness of an aircraft and the engineering team that do the work.
Its a series of approvals under EASA, PART-M for airworthiness, PART.145 for engineering & PART-66 for engineering approvals.
if you are looking into how maintenance is conducted then a step back from the physical act of maintenance is maintenance planning, or more importantly Continued Airworthiness and the relationship between the organisation responsible for the airworthiness of an aircraft and the engineering team that do the work.
Its a series of approvals under EASA, PART-M for airworthiness, PART.145 for engineering & PART-66 for engineering approvals.
Rigga, so true. Unless you work on some Agusta (or whoever they are now) products, then you'll find this little gem in the MM Introduction: "This manual provides the best possible instructions but it is not a substitute for sound judgement."
Love it.
Grant1978. The OEM manuals are approved by each aviation authority and are the only manuals that are approved for the maintenance of the helicopter. Every aircraft is delivered with a complete set of Manuals. English is the standard language, but for countries where English is not mandated in Aviation (Brazil for instance) then Manuals in the appropriate language are supplied.
Most are now delivered on DVD or by electronic download. Paper Manuals are expensive to make and to maintain, so they are nearly all gone now.
Hope that helps
Love it.
Grant1978. The OEM manuals are approved by each aviation authority and are the only manuals that are approved for the maintenance of the helicopter. Every aircraft is delivered with a complete set of Manuals. English is the standard language, but for countries where English is not mandated in Aviation (Brazil for instance) then Manuals in the appropriate language are supplied.
Most are now delivered on DVD or by electronic download. Paper Manuals are expensive to make and to maintain, so they are nearly all gone now.
Hope that helps
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Asset Stripper?
Guys I'm going to dip out of this conversation. There are without doubt some bright/educated/experienced people on this forum but I didn't join to be in the position where I had to defend/justify my position. I wouldn't classify myself as an asset stripper. In fact I've saved many businesses and also many jobs.
I was asking a question as I was genuinely interested but the attitude of the people on here just isn't for me. I get the impression that a number of small people sat behind their computer screens feeling that they are making up for their inadequacies by text.
I'm surprised that so many accomplished pilots have managed to avoid becoming craters as your decision making seems to revolve around jumping to conclusions without data or fact.
Good luck
I was asking a question as I was genuinely interested but the attitude of the people on here just isn't for me. I get the impression that a number of small people sat behind their computer screens feeling that they are making up for their inadequacies by text.
I'm surprised that so many accomplished pilots have managed to avoid becoming craters as your decision making seems to revolve around jumping to conclusions without data or fact.
Good luck
Grant,
Hold on there. You can't blame someone for trying to interpret a vague description. I've been to a few rodeos and fallen off a few potato trucks but even with that vast experience I have no clue what "business transformation" means. Perhaps if you explain yourself using non buzz word containing descriptors you would not be on the defensive. I'm more than happy to talk about maintenance philosophy.
Yes, as has been noted we do have strict regulatory requirements if working under FAA/EASA/CASA/JAR or what have you rules. If you are working for any sort of certificate holder there are likely required inspection items that must be signed off by approved inspectors. Everybody follows these rules to the letter....or at least that is their story and most try to stick to it. Of course, people deviate from the OEM procedures to save time or money. Not to say there is anything wrong with saving either but we all know how that goes. Everything moves along well until someone who may not know why the "shortcut" was started OR what the full procedure is gets something incorrectly assembled. Parts are not all "Murphy" proof (apologies to anyone named Murphy out there). It is also next to impossible to have a thick manual or laptop going while you are getting things done. So you tend to not reference the books when doing jobs you do on a regular basis. That habit gets expanded a bit to the point where you think you know all the steps, but you forget to put the seal on the fuel control shaft and boom, you have to pull it off and start again. Nobody dies(ed) but it makes (made) a mess (not that I've every done anything like that).
In theory, a mechanics inspection or overhaul check list is absolutely no different from one a pilot uses but for the time factor and perhaps not having anyone read it off for you and double check that you actually did or checked what it said. Single pilot EMS operators in my experience are notorious for not using written checklists because they were the last one to fly and they set everything up. As a mechanic, I've pulled a circuit breaker, failed to mention to the pilot that I did it, failed to reset it and had to run outside because they didn't have a light off. Whose fault is that? Mine to be sure, but also there can be no acceptable explanation why they didn't check that all breakers were in prior to hitting the start button. We all do it because we're human, lazy, forgetful, hurried, take things for granted and so on.
Lest I start sounding like the droning on of most maintenance safety talks we go to I will say the most valuable rule that has prompted me to "do the right thing" even though I was the only one it made happy, is that everything I do needs to pass the "straight faced" test of asking "what is the worst that could happen if I made a grave mistake?". Sounds kind of lame but it has worked (ok, almost worked) for 40 years.
The last thing I'll say is because I've lived going from pretty bare bones maintenance manuals to seeing laptop diagnostics and interactive manuals. The quantity of technical information needed to maintain a 3 ton helicopter, let alone a 7 or 8 ton machine is vast and there is no way one person can be good at using all of it.
" We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming" -Wernher von Braun.
"Remember, there's a planet out there and it's pointed right at you"- me.
Hold on there. You can't blame someone for trying to interpret a vague description. I've been to a few rodeos and fallen off a few potato trucks but even with that vast experience I have no clue what "business transformation" means. Perhaps if you explain yourself using non buzz word containing descriptors you would not be on the defensive. I'm more than happy to talk about maintenance philosophy.
Yes, as has been noted we do have strict regulatory requirements if working under FAA/EASA/CASA/JAR or what have you rules. If you are working for any sort of certificate holder there are likely required inspection items that must be signed off by approved inspectors. Everybody follows these rules to the letter....or at least that is their story and most try to stick to it. Of course, people deviate from the OEM procedures to save time or money. Not to say there is anything wrong with saving either but we all know how that goes. Everything moves along well until someone who may not know why the "shortcut" was started OR what the full procedure is gets something incorrectly assembled. Parts are not all "Murphy" proof (apologies to anyone named Murphy out there). It is also next to impossible to have a thick manual or laptop going while you are getting things done. So you tend to not reference the books when doing jobs you do on a regular basis. That habit gets expanded a bit to the point where you think you know all the steps, but you forget to put the seal on the fuel control shaft and boom, you have to pull it off and start again. Nobody dies(ed) but it makes (made) a mess (not that I've every done anything like that).
In theory, a mechanics inspection or overhaul check list is absolutely no different from one a pilot uses but for the time factor and perhaps not having anyone read it off for you and double check that you actually did or checked what it said. Single pilot EMS operators in my experience are notorious for not using written checklists because they were the last one to fly and they set everything up. As a mechanic, I've pulled a circuit breaker, failed to mention to the pilot that I did it, failed to reset it and had to run outside because they didn't have a light off. Whose fault is that? Mine to be sure, but also there can be no acceptable explanation why they didn't check that all breakers were in prior to hitting the start button. We all do it because we're human, lazy, forgetful, hurried, take things for granted and so on.
Lest I start sounding like the droning on of most maintenance safety talks we go to I will say the most valuable rule that has prompted me to "do the right thing" even though I was the only one it made happy, is that everything I do needs to pass the "straight faced" test of asking "what is the worst that could happen if I made a grave mistake?". Sounds kind of lame but it has worked (ok, almost worked) for 40 years.
The last thing I'll say is because I've lived going from pretty bare bones maintenance manuals to seeing laptop diagnostics and interactive manuals. The quantity of technical information needed to maintain a 3 ton helicopter, let alone a 7 or 8 ton machine is vast and there is no way one person can be good at using all of it.
" We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming" -Wernher von Braun.
"Remember, there's a planet out there and it's pointed right at you"- me.
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Behind a dusty desk, and in some really hot, dusty, wet and cold places subject to who is paying the bill. But mostly Gods own land.
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"I'm surprised that so many accomplished pilots have managed to avoid becoming craters as your decision making seems to revolve around jumping to conclusions without data or fact."
...Grant1978 that's a tad unfair, you have come asking a question as a new member, I'm guessing you didn't read the warning at the top of the homepage that said be careful about what you post as it may end up in the wrong hands. There are numerous incidents of members of the press and associated media coming on here 'looking for answers' to a quick question and it appearing in the media within minutes.
As you say 'we' are an educated bunch of professionals who work in a very technical, highly regulated environment with a lot of nuances. Please remember that aviation has been a regulated environment since the 1920's. Next time you look at a flight ticket look at the T&C's and it will refer either to the Warsaw convention of 1929 or the Chicago convention of 1944.
So rightly or wrongly 'we' are quite nervous of strangers asking out-of-the-blue questions and we often struggle to explain the working practices of a very old industry to people from outside of the aviation environment, this is primarily down to the fact that most people who work in aviation only ever talk shop with other aviation professionals as we speak the same language. ...in my case my wife and son both work in aviation, it makes home so much easier!
PM me with an email address and I'll pass it onto a friend in the UK who will be able to forward you a .pdf of a maintenance manual for your interest.
Miles
...Grant1978 that's a tad unfair, you have come asking a question as a new member, I'm guessing you didn't read the warning at the top of the homepage that said be careful about what you post as it may end up in the wrong hands. There are numerous incidents of members of the press and associated media coming on here 'looking for answers' to a quick question and it appearing in the media within minutes.
As you say 'we' are an educated bunch of professionals who work in a very technical, highly regulated environment with a lot of nuances. Please remember that aviation has been a regulated environment since the 1920's. Next time you look at a flight ticket look at the T&C's and it will refer either to the Warsaw convention of 1929 or the Chicago convention of 1944.
So rightly or wrongly 'we' are quite nervous of strangers asking out-of-the-blue questions and we often struggle to explain the working practices of a very old industry to people from outside of the aviation environment, this is primarily down to the fact that most people who work in aviation only ever talk shop with other aviation professionals as we speak the same language. ...in my case my wife and son both work in aviation, it makes home so much easier!
PM me with an email address and I'll pass it onto a friend in the UK who will be able to forward you a .pdf of a maintenance manual for your interest.
Miles
