Aircraft are comprehensive and expensive vehicles. The most important factor in their expense is that too much workforce and different line of business move simultaneously during their production. Airplanes are closely monitored as long as they continue to fly, not just during the production process. This close pursuit becomes especially critical when the aircraft enters the hand (owner) change process. Each aircraft to be purchased shall be examined with the same meticulousness regardless of model and age.
Well, what is the scope of this review?
This topic, which has a very broad scope, can be reduced to some simple and basic titles.
Certificates and Statements
There are national and international certifications that any aircraft must have in order to receive a flight permit. Some of them are taken from the country where the plane is made, some are taken from the country where the plane is registered, and some are taken from the countries where it will fly. In addition, there are some written warranties that must be taken from companies that have already flown the airplane. It is the first condition that these documents must be up-to-date and complete.
Documents
An aircraft is as good as its documents are good. There is a heavy paper business in aviation. Every work done is written and every written work is done. All records must be sequenced, properly examined and indexed. If such an index is not available, it must be done before the delivery. If the aircraft needs to be leased or sold to another company, the prospective tenant or buyer will ask for this index and value it accordingly. Later construction of such index will surely reduce the profitability of the business as it can extend the delivery processes.
Maintenance History
It is extremely important to know the maintenance done in what scope, where, when, by whom, and by which equipment. It should be examined in detail, if it was done in the right context, in the right place, at the right time, by the right technical person and using the right tool / equipment. Otherwise, if the aircraft is still in maintenance process, then it is of critical importance to supervise and closely monitor the maintenance. This follow-up is extremely important in terms of permanence and long-term endurance of the maintenance. Additional to the maintenance that has been done, the time remaining for future maintenance must also be reasonable and available in a listed form.
Spare Parts History
Another important issue is how well the aircraft has been able to maintain its authenticity. The changing parts will surely be, but the origins of these parts, their history, their records and their current condition on the aircraft must be examined. These include basic components such as landing gears, seats, and engines. A small detail missed can turn into a very expensive problem.
Life Limited Parts
Some parts on airplanes are changed whether they are damaged or not, regardless of their condition when they have completed a certain period of time or flight. These parts can be both very critical and very expensive as they are tracked according to international aviation laws. It is imperative to know which parts are in this scope and how long they last.
Overall Condition of the Plane
Each plane has a different operational history. Depending on the structure of the flying regions, there may be visible or hidden problems at different points. The effects of ice (polar), moist (tropical), sandy (desert) or rural (undeveloped) regions are different; so the points that should be looked on the aircraft must be well known from the operational history.
General Condition of Engines
Engines are the most expensive components of a plane. In order to understand the condition of an engine, the parameters recorded during the flights are examined and the non-destructive inspection method called “borescope” is applied. Planes with healthy engines fly in a healthy way. Since engines are vital to both safety and business, they must have been thoroughly examined with a competent eye.
Cabin Interior
Another important point is the interior design of the plane. Seat selection and layout are very critical for scheduled flights. Location of lavatories (toilets), galleys (kitchens) and catering equipment also has the same critical prescription. Since these processes take a very long time and will directly affect the profitability of the aircraft, they must be analyzed and applied very well.
Equipment
The planes are undoubtedly very modern tools, but they can also sometimes be out-of-date. Airplanes that are not in production now, or that have outdated/obscure parts, may stuck on the ground when these parts fail. Very large commercial losses can arise because procurement of these kind of parts will be delayed, sometimes even impossible. Also, depending on the areas planned to fly, it may be necessary to have some special parts on the plane. A special attention must be paid to ensure that airplane is suitable for the installation of these kind of parts. In addition, it must be ensured that any changes or modifications made on the aircraft are recorded in full detail.
Damages and Repairs
Aircraft can be damaged for various reasons. The most common types of damage are the impact of ground handling vehicles, bird strike and lightning strike. Any damage to the aircraft must be recorded without exception. The aircraft may continue to fly with damage remaining within tolerances, but it must be ensured that these damages are indeed within limits. If there are existing repairs, they are a matter of risk potential. There are two sides of the risk; proper application and proper documentation. Additional repairs may be incurred because repairs that are properly done but not properly recorded or not properly done from the beginning will need to be done again. In its mildest state, it can extend project duration by creating a controversial environment between the parties. For this reason, it is important that they be studied quickly and carefully.
Of course, there are other details besides these items, but they are basically discussed under one of these titles. A thorough analysis and a strict follow-up are essential to guarantee the profitable operation of the airplane.