Learning Module 01: Fundamentals of Maintenance

➔ Maintenance
Keep the aircraft safe, reliable, and airworthy
By maintaining an aircraft, the aircraft remains available

➔ Engineer
Responsible for making a good design
Limited by technology, design efforts, and ability/technique economics.
Build the best system within a given constraint.
Good design is an optimum design
Minimize the numbers of maintenance before the design fail
One good practice is one-horse-shay

➔ Mechanic
Responsible for making sure that imperfections are corrected.
Responsible for corrective and preventive maintenance (Pre-flight Checks).
Controls the occurrence of maintenance.

➔ Two Types of Maintenance

1. Corrective Maintenance
a. Adjust
b. Tweak
c. Service
d. Restore
2. Preventive Maintenance
a. Scheduled Maintenance
i. Annual (Based on FAA)
ii. 100 hr - Inspection
(Mandatory in critical parts)
iii. Progressive Inspection: (3-8
days post departure service
check)
iv. Pre - flight Checks (large AC)
v. Short Intervals (Convenient Time)
b. Unscheduled Maintenance
c. Continuous Inspection: for large AC & cargo

➔ Type of Time
Flight Hours: time which it starts from its own power
Flight Cycle: Take - off and Landing

➔ Reliability
Level of perfection
No amount of maintenance can increase reliability, only design
 ➔ Redesign
New components, materials, and techniques
Higher design tolerances
Design skills and philosophy
Proprietary

Goal: To achieve it to the closest line of perfection.

➔ Bathtub Curve
Infant Mortality
Constant failure rate
WearOut
➔ Rising Wear Out
No infant mortality
Rising failure rate
Definite wearout
➔ Wear Out
No infant mortality
Rising failure rate
Not definite wearout

➔ Constant Failure Rate (Ideal)

No infant mortality
Constant failure rate
Not definite wear out

➔ Infant Mortality
Infant Mortality
Constant failure rate
Not definite wearout
➔ Other Maintenance Considerations
1. Redundancy
a. High reliability
b. Primary and backup
2. Line Replaceable Unit (LRU)
a. Items that are easy to fail and easy to repair
b. Prevents decay and more costs
3. Master Minimum Equipment List
a. Minimum Equipment List (MEL): INOP, GO, NO GO items
b. Dispatch Deviation Guide (DDG): Manufacturers require maintenance
action not obvious to mechanics, precautions like cable tying and
capping connectors.
c. Pilot - in - Command: Can decide when to dispatch during repairs.
d. Configuration Deviation List (CDL): Non critical items, items installed
but might not affect safe operations
e. Non - Essential Furnishing (NEF): Deferred items not affecting
airworthiness.

➔ Establishing Maintenance Program

Scheduled and Non-Scheduled maintenance ensure a level of reliability.
No matter how perfect a component is, it still needs to be maintained.
Different component, different rates

➔ Different Types of Inspection

Annual Inspection: A/C is grounded, all components are checked.
100-hour Inspection: Mandatory inspection of critical items (flight hours vs
flight cycle) and usually in hire/business.
Progressive Inspection: A/C is maintained frequently but at short intervals
of convenient times, common in airlines. Consist of 90 days/25 hours to avoid
long ground time.
Continuous Inspection: Commonly used in large commercials.
Learning Module 02: Basic Maintenance Program
Learning Module 03: Basic Maintenance Program Requirements