MaintenanceOct.qxp_Finance 17/09/2019 15:01 Page 1
MAINTENANCE
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Do Engine Maintenance Programs Help Older Jet Values? It can be tempting to remove an older business airplane from its engine maintenance program to save costs. Engine Assurance Program’s Sean Lynch tells Dave Higdon why this is a bad idea… ne of the keys to economical business aircraft use is the pure longevity of the airplanes we fly. Older airframes need not face obsolescence thanks to processes that allow upgrades and improvements — changes which can provide aging aircraft with avionics and interiors on a par with newer jets. Thanks to Supplemental Type Certificates and the advanced systems produced specifically for retrofit, a 30-year-old jet can fly neck-and-neck with one produced only yesterday. As a result, many operators continue to fly airframes that are years
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134 Vol 23 Issue 10 2019 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
older than average. If there's a weak link, however, it parallels the tired human heart that’s worked hard, worn out and is subject to more maintenance than before. That's why maintenance technicians advise taking the best possible care of the aircraft's heartbeat: its powerplants. The uncomfortable truth is that as engines age they can become more expensive to maintain. But keeping abreast with that engine's maintenance needs can help it live longer, more efficiently and with greater reliability. www.AVBUYER.com
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