Helicopter Maintenance From Uplifting Aviation

Description

Is maintenance really necessary?
To better illustrate this critical point, allow me to share with you a personal experience before my time in the aviation industry.

During a short stint as a mechanic at a Porsche garage in Marseilles, I observed a car mechanic who was in the process of removing the engine of a 911 Turbo, screaming maniacally as he struggled to undo one of the engine bolts.

The gentleman in charge of the body paint shop turned around, looked at me & asked: ‘Do you know the difference between what I do & what he does?’ To which, I answered: ‘Yup, you are a specialist in body paint, & he’s an expert in the mechanical workings of the car.’

Without hesitation, he corrected me with an insight it has taken years to fully appreciate. ‘No,’ he replied, ‘The difference is that, when the client comes to pick up his car & sees the amazing paint work I’ve done, he pays the bill happily & doesn’t even attempt to haggle the price. Meanwhile, whenever my friend, the car mechanic, presents his bill, because the client can’t see the work that’s been done on the car, he will always haggle!’

The key point here is that people are reluctant to pay for something when they cannot immediately perceive its value, even when that hidden value is of far deeper importance.

Now, when it comes to helicopters, the cost of maintenance can be so onerous that clients will shudder at the thought of the final bill. At Uplifting Aviation, we see maintenance as an investment, particularly when it is planned & executed to the highest standards & it thoroughly delivers the key objectives. Specifically, helicopter maintenance should:
Guarantee the technical integrity of the helicopter, thereby increasing & preserving safety levels;
Improve the reliability of the helicopter;
Add more value or limit depreciation of the helicopter; &
Improve or at least maintain the helicopter’s performance throughout the ownership lifecycle.

All service centres must comply with either E.A.S.A. (European Aviation Safety Agency) or the F.A.A. (Federal Aviation Administration), as well as their respective national aviation authority.

Typically, when a maintenance service centre seeks to offer services for a specific helicopter model, or to obtain the capability to support that model’s engines, components, avionics &/or cabin, it must have an agreement in place with the applicable regulator, e.g. E.A.S.A. Part 145. The agreement stipulates that service centres must have engineers who are qualified or type rated on the helicopter model, or who hold specific equipment qualification gained through training with either the manufacturer or Aviation Approved Part 147 training centres.

They also need to have the right tooling to maintain any specific helicopter, its engine(s), avionics & components as well as its mission equipment. They mandatorily must have access to the latest updated manuals, Airworthiness Directives (ADs), Service Bulletins (SBs) & Illustrated Parts Catalogues (IPCs).

Why Uplifting Aviation?
Now consider a scenario where you are choosing between two different service centres that have identical approval & capabilities for a specific helicopter, e.g. the Airbus H145. How can you tell which of these has the right processes in place, the right parts in stock & the best expertise & knowledge? Which one will be the most ethical & reliable in supporting the H145?

Uplifting Aviation has operated in this industry for 30 years, & we have built our core expertise in the field of maintenance, repair & overhaul of aircraft – helicopters & their engines. Prior to launching my business, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with several business jets & commercial airliners MRO’s, & pursued my mission with Pratt & Whitney Canada & Rolls Royce, where I gained the necessary knowledge to master this specific field.

Through our particular expertise in this field, Uplifting Aviation assists clients in ensuring maintenance expenditures are cost-effective & deliver the required results.

We provide the following suite of maintenance services:
Management of MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) services for airframes, engines, components, avionics, cabins & mission equipment for most helicopters manufactured by Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopters, Leonardo, Sikorsky, MD Helicopters & Robinson Helicopters.
Valuation & execution of any retrofit reconfiguration, e.g. repurposing or change of mission role & upgrade (S.T.C. – Embodiment of Supplemental Type Certificates).
Sourcing & supply of helicopter engines & components on either an exchange or outright purchase basis.
Scheduling & management of helicopter pre-purchase inspections.
Undertaking of audits & evaluations of helicopter maintenance status.

Uplifting Aviation can deploy flexible solutions to meet clients’ maintenance requirements in a cost-effective manner.