When it comes time to have your Twin Commander inspected, you have a few options. You can go to Joe’s We Do It All shop down the hangar row, or you can work with a professional operation with the training, resources, experience and know-how to make the process as efficient as possible.
Aero Air in Hillsboro, Oregon, is one of the oldest Twin Commander Factory Authorized Service Centers in operation. The company works on everything from large aerial firefighting aircraft to small pistons. But they have a special relationship with Twin Commanders, having sold them and worked on them for decades (see “Aero Air” Summer 2019 Flight Levels).
Maintenance Sales Representative Richard Urban said a good inspection begins with good communication. If it’s a new customer, Urban gets access to their maintenance tracking system, if applicable. From there he can build a picture of the airplane’s inspection status and maintenance history. He can accept nearly any program, or even less-formal methods like a spreadsheet. “If they have access to the logs, they can bring them by and we’ll help them,” he said.
Once Urban has established a picture of the airplane’s current status he can get to work building a comprehensive quote. Typically, that will be a flat rate for the inspections that are due, and include any squawks the customer may have. Then Urban and the customer determine a slot in the schedule and Aero Air prepares staffing to ensure the inspections run smoothly.
One thing that often surprises new owners, especially those new to the turbine world, is the sheer number of inspection items and regular checks that must take place. Many owners are familiar with an annual and maybe an instrument check, but even the Twin Commander 150-inspection isn’t just one inspection, he said. “There are individual and independent items that come up as part of it.” That maybe powerplant, landing gear, avionics, and other components. “The older the airplane is, the further scattered they tend to get,” he said.
Scheduling isn’t tricky, assuming the owner plans ahead. Urban said it has happened where an owner calls and asks to get into the shop the next day. While Aero Air tries to accommodate every customer as best it can, everyone has to have realistic expectations. Three or four months is a much better lead time.
Part of the scheduling challenge comes from the fact that a 150-hour inspection usually takes about five days in the shop and a team of technicians. Dan Black is an airframe project manager, and he said a team of two to three technicians will be assigned to each inspection. A working lead technician ensures the project is on track, handles the paperwork, oversees the technicians, and may take care of communicating with the owner.
“I’ll assign someone who’s familiar with engines and someone who’s familiar with airframes,” he said. Rigging and other advanced functions are obviously handled by more experienced technicians, who mentor newer techs through the process. It can take months of shadowing for a tech to work independently, and even then, they’ll be closely managed.
Twin Commander Factory Authorized Service Centers also have the advantage of stocking type-specific parts. That can significantly shorten the airplane’s downtime because parts such as wheel bearings, bulbs, tires, gaskets, filters, ignitors and other common replacement items are immediately available.
As any owner knows, it’s nearly impossible to get through an inspection without at least one squawk. Here, trust is paramount. Trust in the shop and its ability to accurately identify the problem and fairly quote it, and trust that the owner is operating in good faith. Clear communication helps to smooth things over. Urban said owners will often ask about a squawk, and photos and more detailed conversations usually ease their minds.
Clear communication also helps the shop troubleshoot. Urban said a photo of the problem, a video of the engine instruments, or something else that can give the techs some in-flight information makes their jobs much easier. Every technician knows how hard it can be on the ground to replicate many squawks.
Subsequent visits to the shop are always easier because Aero Air will track the owner’s maintenance once they have a baseline. The owner simply needs to call with the updated times and find some time on the schedule to bring in the airplane.
With the parts to keep things moving quickly and the knowledge and training to make the inspection process as easy as possible for owners, Twin Commander Factory Authorized Service Center Aero Air is a great choice for your next inspection.
