5 year gear inspection

[jbell2355]

Tomorrow  I'm supposed to drop off a 690A for the 150 hour inspection and we need it back in 4 weeks. The shop called today to let me know we're due for a gear inspection and they're suggesting that will take 6 weeks! Is that a typical gear inspection timeline?

[donv]

Honestly, that sounds realistic. I've been promised shorter times, but in the end it usually seems to be around 6 weeks. In part, it depends on parts availability and timelines. It also probably depends on how much labor the shop can throw at it.

[jbell2355]

Dang. Thanks for the reply, Don.

[JimC]

Have you looked into an exchange instead of overhaul?

[donv]

It is an inspection, so what do you mean by "exchange"? You have to inspect the gear in order to know what parts are needed. Once you know, some things can be exchanged, some need to be replaced. There are a bunch of seals which need to be replaced no matter what.

The time is largely a function of having the labor and the parts on hand.

[JimC]

Sorry for the late reply.

It's the same exchange as you might do on a fuel pump or generator. Some shops have full gear sets on hand. They send you a full overhauled gear leg, you remove yours, install theirs, and send yours back. They inspect/overhaul yours and stick it on the shelf for the next guy. Your downtime is limited to the time to remove and reinstall.

It's done for King Airs - I didn't know if there was a shop doing it for Commanders.

It obviously costs more but downtime is limited to hours, not weeks. For many operators that's a good deal.

https://www.traceaviation.com/king-air-landing-gear

[donv]

The Commander gear doesn't really work that way. Yes, you certainly can exchange specific parts if you need them, but often you don't need much if the gear has been properly maintained and hasn't been in a corrosive environment.

[JimC]

I think the "overhaul" on the KA legs is very similar, but there are so many more of them, and so many under charter, that a niche business that does KA gear legs is able to stay in business.

Paying an extra $10k per leg for a six week time savings is a reasonable thing to consider for charter operators who will occasionally gross $200k a month.

[donv]

These guys more or less do that for Commanders:

https://www.smoothlandingsllc.com/commander.html

It has never been an issue for me, because Aero Air has such a large parts inventory that they usually have everything in stock, and they do a lot of gear overhauls (technicallly referred to as a "Major Guide Inspection").