Business jet maintenance: types and warranties
What is included in business jet maintenance?
A business-class aircraft's maintenance implies regular inspections, which basically allow it to fly. The airworthiness certificate is valid for 1 year. There are two types of maintenance:
1. Linear — it is performed by a mechanic or pilot before take-off (refueling with special liquids, gases, etc.) and after landing (inspection of the aircraft, checking of the main systems, replacement of blocks, downloading of on-board computer databases). Linear maintenance can also include small amounts of periodic work performed after every 70–100 flight hours or once a month, depending on the type of aircraft.
2. Basic — it is carried out only by specialists of service centers certified by the aviation authorities of the country of registration. For most types of aircraft, basic maintenance must be carried out every 6 months or every 400–600 flight hours.
What kind of warranty the manufacturer provides for new aircraft?
Each manufacturer sets it’s own terms of warranty service, usually from 1 to 5 years. For example, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer provides a 3-years standard warranty for the airframe and systems, and a 5-years warranty or 2,500 flight hours, whichever occurs first, — for the Rolls-Royce engines. Moreover, for an additional fee, aircraft manufacturers or dealers offer various packages of services for the technical support of their aircraft.
How are aircraft malfunctions getting fixed?
Depending on the state of the aircraft — whether it can fly or not — the operator decides where the malfunction should be fixed. In aviation, there is a list of permissible failures and malfunctions that still allow the aircraft to fly to the service center and undergo maintenance there. If the aircraft isn’t able to take off, the spare part and, if necessary, a qualified engineer are sent from the service center directly to the aircraft.
What expenses does the owner incur in the event of an aircraft breakdown whilst under warranty?
In the event of a failure under warranty, the aircraft's owner pays for: the services of the qualified personnel or service center performing a search for the defect, the delivery of a new unit from the factory to the aircraft or the flight of the aircraft to the service center and the work to replace the unit — depending on the specific conditions of the warranty. The manufacturer's warranty covers, as a rule, the cost of the unit itself and, in some cases, its replacement.
What kind of problems can arise when operating an aircraft in Russia with its climate?
The most vulnerable spot of modern business-class aircraft is equipment of the cabins. The same applies to water systems, which require competent technical maintenance under low temperature conditions. Then follow the electronics — LCD monitors, navigation systems, etc. Obviously business jets are designed for warm hangar storage.
Within what period of time is a new aircraft's running-in complete?
On average, the primary failures and defects of an aircraft are manifested during the first two years of operation — during this time, the aircraft, as a rule, passes running-in, and defects are manifested much less often.
