Challenger Winter 2006

• Challenger Logbook Entries
• Avionics Loaner Policy Adjustment
• Winter Operations Basics
• Welcome, Skip!

Challenger Logbook Entries

- Scott Shefke

Something to think about during your next maintenance event is your logbook entries. Tasks are spelled out in the TLMC as stand-alone continued airworthiness requirements. Because of this, threshold and recurring items can make logbook entries challenging.

For example, if a logbook entry simply states “Complied with 4800 Hour Inspection,” this does not clearly indicate that all tasks divisible evenly by 4800 hour have been completed. Does this include any tasks that have met their threshold and are now on a reccurring interval of greater frequency?

A good entry is easy, just ensure that all tasks completed are documented so that future maintenance and quality assurance personnel have no questions regarding the compliance of interval inspection requirements, recurring or otherwise.

If not done correctly, valuable time and money are incurred from service personnel going back two or three revisions of the TLMC or MPD trying to determine if a task has been completed. It becomes even more costly when the task must be repeated because compliance cannot be proven.

Logging and keeping track of all tasks is invaluable during a prepurchase evaluation or audit. If space is of concern, ask your service provider to provide these tasks on a supplementary log book entry that can be stored with your records.

Avionics Loaner Policy Adjustment

- Rick Whitesell

For more than 30 years, Duncan Aviation’s free loaner program has kept customers flying when their avionics and instrument units required repair or overhaul. During these many years, costs associated with operating business aircraft have soared. Duncan Aviation loaners have remained free and will continue to be free; however, a slight adjustment is warranted.

Since inception of the free loaners program, recertification of every loaner unit returned to Duncan Aviation has been required. Duncan Aviation has always absorbed the cost of returning loaners to service during the recertification process, but now we are asking customers to help shoulder the cost of returning these units back to original manufacturer specifications.

Recertification fees range from $50 to $200 depending on the time it takes to recertify a particular unit.

If you have questions about recertification fees, please contact Rick Whitesell at 800.LOANERS.

Winter Operations Basics

- Skip Thorp

With winter upon us, it is important to review procedures regarding de-icing / anti-icing and cleaning aircraft. See Chapter 12 for complete procedures and precautions.

Inevitably, it will be necessary to wash the landing gear and wheel well areas to remove sand, etc. After you are done, it is imperative to blow excess water from the gear and recesses in the wheel wells to prevent corrosion.

Also, clean your struts and the exposed piston of the side brace actuators as grit left on those can result in leakage.

If you operate in an area that requires frequent washing of the gear, consider lowering the frequency for greasing landing gear.

When spring does arrive, pull down the wheel well bins and with a shop vac give the whole area a good cleaning. A little caution and TLC now can save money down the road.

Welcome, Skip!

- Alan Huggett

Duncan Aviation (BTL) is pleased to welcome Skip Thorp as Bombardier Technical Representative. Skip is available to answer your technical questions or for troubleshooting advice.

Contact Skip at 800.525.2376.

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