Time limit on Rotax Engines

[dazza 38]

Our fleet is maintained by LAME's and not Level 2's so we are talking chalk and cheese anyway. I agree to disagree with you. For the record I have never heard of a LAME or L2 running an oil filter for 100 hours with 50 hourly oil changes or for that matter, changing the oil at 100 hours under any circumstances. If anything I would be worried about a law suit for engine maintenance under those circumstances. If you did that in the GA world a LAME's career would be short lived indeed.

Nope, plenty of aircraft only have their oil changed at 100 hours / yearly annual.And not before that time.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Obtaining an L2 for a LAME is just a formality really. Our LAME's have also been known to give out references so that L2's can obtain their maintenance certificate. If we want to compare LaME's to L2's I'm happy to start another thread.

I was trained as a Aircraft technician in the RAAF. For what it is worth, I have known plenty of LAME's that are farken hopeless.Maybe I should start a thread on that. What I am getting at is that every trade out their wheather a plumber, electrician, surgeon (Well not really surgeons, they bury their mistakes) or a LAME.There is always going to be good tradesmen & not so good tradesman.

The trouble is, people think, jeez that guy must know what he is on about, he is a LAME.Well I hate to burst their bubble but they stuff up like everybody else. I know I got a massive bill from a aircraft mob at Archerfield when I had a Piper Archer. They tried to rip me off until they found out I was a crew chief on Tornado jets. Once they found out they couldnt BS me, the price of the job did came down in price by alot.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Thanks Dazza, And as an example our P&W r985 radial-powered DHC-2 Beaver amphib floatplanes only get an oil change every 100 hours. Right now we have two new (rebuilt) engines running on Shell straight 100 oil. That stays in for 100 hours, and then will be changed to W100, which we will be doing this week on one of them. The P&W engine manual doesn't recommend any particular period, but says "oil to be changed on condition". Now, I'll also mention that this particular company has been operating this way for coming up on 40 years !, so maybe Error 404 appears to be slightly out of touch with the real world..............................................................Maj...

 

 

[Guest Error404]

It is refreshing to be surrounded by such aeronautical excellence.

 

May be you should apply for the techman job Maj.

 

 

[Mriya]

It seems lots of new discussion threads could be spun out of the recent comments and I note that each contributor has valid points. As always the deeper you dig the 'greyer' an issue can appear. My initial answer reflects how a large number of L2's would respond in practice to someone requesting them to allow an engine to be run 'on condition' in a FTF or for hire (For whatever it is worth I am a L2 & LAME too).

 

Yes the RAAus Tech Manual (Sect 4.2.5) does set out a pathway for operating 'on-condition' even in a flying school context, however I would suggest that the statement right at the start of this section in the Tech Manual where RAAus recommends abiding by the manufacturers schedule means a L2 would need to be very brave or ignorant to allow on-condition engines to be used in this manner. As others have pointed out as soon as the first aircraft suffers an engine failure if 'on-condition' (especially if a fatality or serious injury is involved) everyone else concerned will be ducking for 'legal' cover and the L2 will be hung out to roast for making a bad call by allowing the engine to continue till it failed. To go against an RAAus (and for that matter CASA) recommendation is leaving oneself way too exposed in my view.

 

So in closing although E404 is technically correct in saying pathways may exist to run 'on-condition', as a L2/LAME you won't find my signature on an aircraft with an engine at that stage in its life, unless it can be clearly shown that even in a worst case scenario I won't be made a scapegoat.

 

As others have already stated a flying school ought to be able to budget and plan around the manufacturers TBO interval, ensuring that sufficient money is put aside for each hr flown to cover replacement engine costs. A healthy market currently exists for engines close to TBO with private owners willing to snap up a Rotax 912 with a couple of hundred hrs left to run. This all helps to minimise engine changeover costs for the FTF's and provides me with some comfort in the knowledge that the laywers will not see me as the path of least resistance in obtaining a payout for the widow of some unfortunate soul.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

The thought has occured to me Error404, but in this current political envoirment, and in Canberra, not a chance in hell !!!!!...Like most of us, I just want to fly without the BS........................................Maj...