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When should I have logbooks researched? How can I have a set of logbooks researched?
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The logbook’s
reliability / correctness and records are the responsibility of the aircraft
owner and not the maintenance personnel who do the work or recording.
Often owners do not have a working knowledge of what is required by the
FAA for Airworthiness or what should be entered in the log books.
This is an area where log book research can be helpful.
Research determines that all the FAA requirements are being met, the
maintenance personnel are performing quality work and recording it correctly and
that no inspections or maintenance pertinent to the aircraft is being overlooked
or missed. It is also used to
determine the quality of recorded work, if there is any damage history or
repairs, and 337’s for repairs and alterations.
This all reflects on the value and reliability of the aircraft and may
indicate future problems or long-term concerns.
There is often a pattern of maintenance recorded in the books that
precedes future expensive maintenance.
Since the charges are set by the quality of the logbooks, we can call with an estimate after the books are received. We accept payment by check, MasterCard or VISA. The prices vary from $50.00 per logbook for an easy set to $100.00 per book for a difficult set. The difficulty of the books as to legibility and continent determines the cost per book.
When should I have logbooks researched?
The best times to think about logbook research are when
considering the purchase of an aircraft and when considering selling aircraft.
By all means when purchasing an aircraft get a pre-purchase from a shop
that is familiar with that type aircraft, but does not do the maintenance on
that particular one. Pre-purchases
are always very helpful in determining the quality of the aircraft.
However, it is wise to have the log books evaluated on a periodic basis
for long-term owners as a second opinion on the quality of work being received.
This helps avoid problems further down the road with maintenance and
records.
We specialize in piston-powered certified aircraft. We are not familiar enough with the maintenance practices of turbine aircraft to provide the quality of service we desire.
We look for the
maintenance history of the airframe, its damage history that is recorded, status
of different airframe components determined by the type and model of aircraft.
We check the records for tire, brake discs and linings, motors and
control cable replacements and their frequency or lack of it.
Instrument replacements, vacuum pump and filter replacements are checked
on frequency or lack of record. Engine
components / accessories replacements / overhauls are checked for and correlated
as to time between as well as the engine history.
Engine history includes cylinder replacements, total time, time since
major overhaul, who did the overhaul and when.
Status of all pertinent Airworthiness Directives is checked as well
Manufacturer’s recommendations, time limits and specifications. We also look for problems that are peculiar to
the aircraft model and design and the engine.
We record last maintenance on all those items pertinent to aircraft and
look for missing inspections, slow flight period and unusual periods of
down-time which can be questionable.
Information
for Pre-purchases:
Sometimes even a
very professional pre-purchase does not include a complete inspection of the
logbooks because it is often very time consuming to read them thoroughly. We can
help you in determining whether an aircraft should be considered for purchase by
looking at the maintenance status, damage history and AD’s recorded or not
recorded in the log books. We can
look for things that should be recorded for that particular aircraft model, type
and age; these items make the aircraft either more valuable or less reliable
purchase. These are items that
would determine whether the aircraft was headed toward difficulties, was poorly
maintained or was well maintained and appears to be a good purchase.
The length of
time required is determined by the state of the logbooks themselves. Typewritten / computerized entries are easier to read and
therefore take less time to understand. However,
most log book entries (particularly older ones) are hand written and some are
almost illegible and difficult to decipher and understand.
Those take longer and require a greater concentration, greater knowledge
of aircraft terminology and the ability to read between the lines.
This does not mean that some great maintenance was not accomplished, only
that the mechanic himself did the entry and had lost some of his fine motor
skills by being a mechanic. Also
logbook entries can become very faded or water stained and this makes them
almost unreadable. It can take from
½ hour for an easy logbook to more than an hour for a difficult book.
Determining status sometimes takes more than one reading and constant
going back to review.
We read them,
recording when different items have been accomplished, Airworthiness Directive
and Service Bulletin status of airframe, engine and all the accessories.
We record engine total time, time since major overhaul, time since top
overhaul, cylinder replacements and who the work was accomplished by and when.
We check for time intervals on engine accessories, airframe motors and
all the manufacturer’s recommendations on time limits and servicing for the
aircraft and engine. We also check
for 337s for repair or alteration and damage history to the airframe, propeller
or engine. We check for instrument
replacement, vacuum pump and filters replacements.
We check on tire, brake discs and linings replacement frequency.
We also check for the lack of the above records.
Each model of aircraft has design weaknesses that are peculiar to it
alone and look for recorded work in regard to them.
They are at times
very difficult to read and comprehend, particularly those that are faded or
almost illegible and the mechanic assumes that you can read between the lines
and follow him. These books are
almost illegible because of fading, water spotting, and mechanic’s poor
handwriting. We have an
understanding of the terminology peculiar to aviation, a fairly well developed
ability to read the almost unreadable and a working knowledge of most small
general aviation aircraft and piston engines.
We know what should be recorded and what can be recorded to cover
something that should have been recorded.
We check the
following items:
Maintenance status on items that have time / calendar limits for both
airframe and engine components / accessories.
Items that should be inspected / replaced at regular intervals.
Unusual replacement of some items: Too
many tire changes, brake disc and linings replacements, Lots
of instrument work, vacuum pump and filter replacements Cylinder
or accessory changes Or
too few of the above
Times where there has been little flight time
Unusual period of down-time or no flight between inspection
Replacement of hoses
What was replaced when the engine was overhauled or replaced
Airworthiness Directives / Service Bulletins
Missing inspections and things that should have been recorded for
aircraft integrity
Accident / damage history, parts replacement
Propeller changes / overhauls
Accident history
helps determine the value of aircraft. It
also helps determine the aircraft’s reliability and the possibility of future
or present structural problems that may not be noticed.
If accident repairs are not done correctly or to a level in accordance
with the manufacture, structural problems can develop through weakening /
stressing components / skins or structure.
The re-repair of the damage can be extremely expensive and may not
provide the stability desired.
AD research is
done to determine whether all the applicable AD’s are complied with or signed
off as not applicable and that the FAA requirements are being met.
This is the owner’s responsibility to oversee and not the maintenance
personnel’s even though they are doing the recording.
Most owners do not have a working knowledge of the AD’s and rely upon
the mechanic / inspector to take care of them.
The results of
the research are written in the form of a report listing the most recent
replacements for various items, engine total time, time since overhaul, cylinder
replacements, and manufacturer’s time before overhaul recommendation.
The overhauled and date will also be listed along with a list of when
overhauls on accessories and other items should be accomplished.
There will be a list of items, replacements or inspection missing if
there are any. Whether there was
any accident /damage history with when it was repaired, by who and flight time
will be listed with whether this might jeopardize the aircraft’s reliability
or cause future problems. Any
questionable entries, time periods, unusual down-times will be listed. There will also be a list of what might need to be checked
and watched in the future. How
can I have a set of logbooks researched?
First call
520-363-5175 or 1-800-262-9644 to get information.
We will need a full copy of all the logbooks.
It is not recommended that you send the logs themselves as they might get
lost in process and are irreplaceable.
Since the charges are set by the quality of the logbooks, we can call
with an estimate after the books are received.
We accept payment by check, MasterCard or VISA.
The prices vary from $50.00 per logbook for an easy set to $100.00 per
book for a difficult set. The
difficulty of the books as to legibility and continent determines the cost per
book.
If you would like for your faded, illegible hand-written books to be typed /
computerized, we can provide that service for you. The cost of the service would be determined while the books
are being evaluated. The cost is
determined by the difficulty to read, number of pages and quantity of continent.
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