CHAPTER 4

MAINTENANCE CONTROL CENTER

INTRODUCTION
The maintenance control centre (MCC), sometimes called the
maintenance operations control centre (MOCC), is the nerve centre of
the line maintenance organization; it is responsible for keeping track
of all vehicles in operation. Vehicle location, maintenance and
servicing needs and other requirements are monitored by the MCC
during the operational phase of activity via telephone, radio,
facsimile, and any other available means of communication. The
MCC keeps track of the vehicles and coordinates with key units
throughout the operations, maintenance, and engineering activities so
that maintenance, when needed, can be coordinated and expedited to
minimize delays and down time. The MCC locates and dispatches the
necessary personnel within the company who can provide whatever
maintenance, troubleshooting, or parts assistance that is needed to
support the operational phase of the activity. Maintenance crews at
outstations can coordinate maintenance actions, the borrowing or
buying of parts locally, and even the contracting of temporary third-
party maintenance personnel through the MCC at the home base.
  Maintenance Control Center Responsibilities
The maintenance control center is the heart of line maintenance.
Regardless of how large or small an airline is, the MCC functions
must be established and must be in control. The purpose of the
maintenance control center is to:
1. Complete all daily checks on designated aircraft.
2. Perform transit or turnaround maintenance on aircraft as needed.
3 Coordinate servicing of these aircraft (food, water, fuel, etc.).
4. Troubleshoot maintenance problems and schedule repairs (if
possible) in the allotted turnaround time or defer maintenance (MEL,
CDL, NEF) until a more appropriate time.
5. Coordinate with various departments—stores/material, engineering,
inspection, planning, and other M&E organizations—for assistance in
resolving maintenance problems at the home base or outstation.
6. Coordinate with flight operations for the maintenance, deferral of
maintenance, functional check flight (FCF), aircraft ferry permits,
whenever the schedule may be impacted.
7. Track all aircraft during flight to determine their location,
maintenance requirements, and status.
8. Coordinate maintenance at outstations with other airlines or
approved third party contractors as necessary.
9. Collect log pages of any in-flight engine shutdown (IFSD), bird
strikes, lighting strikes, or any emergencies that require an aircraft to
return from flight and or any ground interruptions.
  Line Maintenance Operation
An aircraft may or may not experience any faults or discrepancies
during the flight. When the aircraft arrives at the gate, normal services
(fuel, food, etc.) will be provided, as well as the exchange of
passengers, their baggage, and any cargo. If a failure or discrepancy
did occur in flight, there are two possible scenarios. Normally the
problem is written up in the aircraft maintenance logbook and
addressed by the ground crew upon flight arrival. Maintenance
actions would be as indicated by the center column blocks of Fig. To
minimize delay on the ground, however, it is recommended that
advance warning be given to the maintenance personnel by the flight
crew through flight operations and the MCC. This allows
maintenance to spend time before the aircraft arrives to review past
records and troubleshoot the problem. Thus, the actions shown in the
left hand column of Fig. are employed. In many cases, the
maintenance crew can meet the aircraft with a solution in hand thus
minimizing maintenance downtime and delays. This may be
accomplished by a separate team or the same team that handles any
other logbook items. Note that both sign-off of all discrepancies (or
deferrals) and servicing of the aircraft must be completed prior to
returning the aircraft to flight service.
Aircraft Logbook
The aircraft logbook is a type of document that is required by
the FAA and the airline to document any maintenance discrepancies.
An aircraft cannot fly to any destination without its logbook neither
can an aircraft be taxied to any other location without having the
logbook on board. The logbook shows if there are any open
maintenance discrepancies, and if by moving or starting an aircraft,
someone may damage the aircraft or its systems. The aircraft
maintenance department is responsible for keeping the logbook up to
date, which includes recording of such information as total flight
hours and cycles when fixing an aircraft’s maintenance discrepancy.
The pilot in command must write such basic information as the names
of the flight crew and the flight number, and must sign the logbook
accepting the aircraft. The logbook contains a section that allows the
flight crew to write any maintenance discrepancies found during the
preflight check, encounter any maintenance problems while in the air,
or discovered during the postflight check. The flight crew must write
the maintenance discrepancy in the logbook and notify the MCC, so
maintenance personnel can address the problem. Depending on the
maintenance discrepancy, it may be fixed quickly or it may be
deferred under the MEL program. Once the MCC and AMT have
agreed of the deferral item, the AMT enters the appropriate
information in the corrective action box adjacent to the mechanical
discrepancy box and signs off with the information and authorization
number of the MEL, which was obtained from the MCC.
When maintenance is completed on the aircraft and the
discrepancy is signed off, the AMT will remove the log page copy
and forward it to the MCC. Some airlines collect log copies at the end
of each flight day. The logbook pages are normally duplicate copies
but may be in triplicate. Only copies of a logbook page are removed.
The original log page always stays with the aircraft until the logbook
is full and a new book is installed. The completed logbook is
forwarded to the aircraft records department. The log pages sent to the
MCC are entered into the M&E maintenance database, and the
information is used by M&E, QA, QC, and the reliability department
for various other actions, ATA verifications,and future references.
The modern aircraft have superseded or have improved the
logbook with electronic logbook. The ACARS (ARINC
communication and reporting system) is used to transmit data to the
airline home base. The ACARS system is a digital datalink used by
the flight crew to transmit messages between the aircraft and the
maintenance base while in flight. This helps the MCC to evaluate
discrepancies and the time needed for repairs. The ACARS system is
also used to sign off maintenance discrepancy (used as an electronic
logbook) depending on the aircraft used and its capabilities. Once the
AMT signs off the discrepancy in the ACARS system, it will record it
in the MCC or the aircraft record system database. The ACARS
system is also used in preflight communication and other integral
systems, to calculate the weight and balance of aircraft, and to
monitor engine trends.
Ramp and Terminal Operations
Transiting aircraft are the subject of a lot of attention at any
airport, and that attention is usually concentrated in a short (often 30-
minute) time span called the turnaround. During this turnaround,
flight handling, servicing, and maintenance chores must be
accomplished. Although not all these actions would be required at
every turnaround, the following sections provide an overview of what
might be done.
Flight handling
The main purpose of flight handling is to move passengers, their
baggage, and/or any carried cargo off and on the aircraft as necessary.
This begins with parking the aircraft at the gate and positioning the air
stairs or the gateway ramp and opening the aircraft doors. This is a
joint effort involving maintenance, ground handling crews, the flight
and cabin crews, airline terminal personnel, and the FAA tower
personnel responsible for ground control. Watching this activity from
the passenger lounge, one sees a well-coordinated ballet of workers
and machines.
The baggage and cargo loading equipment and crews form a
second wave of activity followed by servicing and maintenance
activities. Servicing consists of refuelling, adding potable water, and
all the food and beverages for the next flight, as well as removing the
trash and other waste materials of the previous one.
In the meantime (it is difficult to separate one activity from
another from your vantage point in the passenger lounge), the
maintenance crew has entered the airplane, checked the logbooks and,
if possible, talked to the crew about any problems they may be having
with the equipment. Maintenance will check out and troubleshoot the
problems and initiate repairs. In some cases (recommended whenever
possible), advance warning of problems has allowed maintenance to
troubleshoot a problem (“on paper”) prior to aircraft arrival, using the
fault isolation manual (FIM) and the airplane maintenance manual
(AMM), and they can meet the airplane with a possible solution
already in hand. If maintenance is completed, it is so noted in the
logbook. If not, it is deferred according to predetermined procedures
and that action is noted in the logbook. The flight crew is also notified
of this condition prior to the next flight.
These deferrals must be handled in accordance with MEL
requirements and with the pilot in command (PIC), who has final say
on whether or not to dispatch the aircraft in such condition. If the
deferral is not allowed, maintenance must effect repairs at once and,
in some cases, take responsibility for a flight delay or cancellation
(see Chap. 18). If a delay or cancellation does occur, the MCC must
coordinate with flight operations and with the airline’s terminal
personnel to handle the passengers and, if required, their baggage.
So, you see, although maintenance is our main concern in this
book, line maintenance is only a part of the activity on the line at any
aircraft turnaround. Their efforts are extremely important and must be
completed within a matrix of activity and a narrow window of
opportunity. But transit maintenance is not all the line maintenance
organization has to do. In some airlines, their line maintenance crews
also perform some or all of the above functions under contract for
other airlines landing at this station that do not have their own
maintenance people assigned. This contract work is coordinated
through the MCC.
Flight line (preflight and postflight)
The preflight inspection must be accomplished on the aircraft’s
first flight of the day. Preflight normally contains the recommended
sequence and expanded procedures. The preflight inspection is
normally accomplished by the first officer (copilot) and does not
require the presence of both crew members. Preflight for winter
operating conditions are different, and require basic precautions,
compliance with special procedures, and attention to detail. Airline
pilots are provided specific aircraft winter operating policies and
procedures in their flight manuals, which include ground deicing and
anti-icing programs. The following is an example of the
recommended preflight sequence:
Exterior safety
Exterior preflight inspection
Cabin safety inspection
Flight deck equipment location
Flight deck safety scan
The exterior, cabin, and flight deck scans are performed in detail
with an overall visual observation. While performing walk around, the
first office pays particular attention to all aircraft surfaces, such as
windows, antennas, engine, cowlings, access panels, and emergency
exits. The equipment hatches not in use are properly closed and
secured. If any abnormalities or maintenance discrepancies are noted
during the preflight check, the flight crew will send a message via
ACARS or the aircraft radio using a preset maintenance frequency
and request maintenance via the MCC.
The postflight inspection must be accomplished after each
flight. This is intended to detect obvious discrepancies and consists of
less tedious check than a preflight inspection. In the event the
outbound crew meets the incoming crew at the aircraft, the postflight
check is not required, since a preflight check will be accomplished by
the next outbound crew. If there are any maintenance discrepancies
found during the postflight check, the crew will report discrepancies
to the MCC. Also, it is the departing crew’s responsibility to shut off
all power, batteries, external power, and oxygen supply after all
passengers have been deplaned.
Other Line Maintenance Activities
After the excitement, fervor, and expedience of the turnaround
effort has subsided, the line maintenance organization attends to
numerous other tasks. One of these is the performance of the daily or
48-hour check on all assigned aircraft. These checks are usually done
before the first flight each day (overnight or morning). The daily or
48-hour check consists of specific items outlined in the maintenance
program identified in the unit’s Ops Specs. The airline may add other
items as necessary. Table shows a typical 48-hour check for a twin-
engine jet; Table is a typical transit check for the same airplane.

 Maintenance Crew Skill Requirements

It is often thought that, because of the simple nature of the work—
turnaround maintenance and servicing—the line maintenance unit can
be manned by the newer, less experienced personnel. Nothing could
be further from the truth. The work done by line maintenance covers a
broad scope of activity. While the shops and hangar can employ
specialists who work essentially on one or a few items repeatedly, line
personnel need to know the entire aircraft: all of its systems and their
interactions. Line mechanics have to deal with a different problem,
often on a different type of aircraft, each time they are called upon to
meet an incoming flight.
 The crews assigned to line maintenance must be well qualified in
their profession. They should be certified mechanics approved by the
regulatory authority and the airline to work on airframe, power plant,
and aircraft systems, and they must be certified to sign off
maintenance tasks and authorize an aircraft to “return to service.” The
line maintenance crew may also include unlicensed helpers and
trainee personnel, but they must work under the supervision of
qualified personnel. Dedicated QC inspectors may be assigned to the
line crews (larger airlines), or line maintenance personnel can be
appointed as designated inspectors to address the quality issues as
they arise. The QC inspectors of either type can also be part of the
MCC staff depending on the requirements and size of the operation.
The skills required by the line maintenance crews are just as broad-
based as the work effort. Crews must be familiar with all aircraft
types within the airline’s fleet. They must be familiar with applicable
FAA rules and regulations, as well as the airline’s policies and
procedures that relate to the line maintenance activities. Although
these line crews will ordinarily be supervised and supported by the
MCC, there are times (overnight) when the line crew is performing
the duties of the MCC in addition to their normal duties. General
maintenance skills and techniques are a must, but the line
maintenance crews must also know what specialists, if any, will be
needed to complete a particular job if they cannot handle it
themselves. Much of this effort, of course, would be handled by the
line maintenance supervisor or by the MCC. But keep in mind that in
small airlines, these functions may all fuse together into one crew—or
into one or two people. Since the line maintenance crew is responsible
for whatever arises, they need to have the necessary skills to perform
scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, to troubleshoot the
problems, to perform required inspections (RIIs) and conditional
inspections (hard landings, bird strikes, etc.), and to do all the
required paperwork.
 The paperwork includes logbook handling (pilot reports, or
PIREPS); task card handling (“A” check and below); engineering
orders; repeat items (with MCC); incoming and outgoing deferred
maintenance items (DMIs); and any other reports or MCC actions that
may occur.
The makeup of the line crews, the number of shifts, shift length,
and scheduling of personnel is dependent on several factors: the size
of the airline, the flight schedule, types of aircraft flown (different
types often require different skills), and type and amount of work
performed. Each airline must decide the most appropriate approach to
meet their own needs.
One last point of line maintenance activity must be stressed. If any
maintenance work is being done that requires it to be spread across
two (or more) shifts, there must be procedures written on the manner
in which job information is transferred from one work crew to the
next to ensure proper completion of the work. Some airlines
accomplish this by requiring the original crew to continue past their
normal duty hours until the job is completed. Thus, no changeover
procedures are required. Other airlines, however, prefer to pass the
job (maintenance as well as inspection and paperwork) to the crew on
the next shift. Whichever way it is done, the procedures for the
transfer of work and inspection activities must be spelled out in the
TPPM

 Hangar Maintenance
Introduction
Hangar maintenance, whether or not the airline actually has a
hangar for such activity, refers to that maintenance which is done on
an out-of-service (OTS) aircraft. This includes any major maintenance
or modification on aircraft that have been temporarily removed from
the flight schedule, usually for that express purpose.
The following types of activities are addressed in hangar
maintenance:
1. Schedule checks (“C” check, “D” check, heavy maintenance visit)
2. Modification of aircraft airframe or aircraft systems according to
service bulletins, airworthiness directives, or engineering orders
3. Fleet campaign directives
4. Aircraft engine removal and installation
5. Aircraft painting
6. Aircraft interior modifications
7. Special inspection required by the FAA (i.e., corrosion program)
Any hangar visit can include various combinations of the
preceding activities in order to achieve maintenance objectives and to
minimize maintenance downtime. Scheduling of these activities is
done by the production planning and control organization with
coordination of all involved units.
Washing of aircraft can be done outside on the ramp or in a
special apron rear, but the painting of the aircraft is normally done
inside a dedicated paint hangar. The main hangar (the only hangar for
some airlines) is usually dedicated to maintenance. This facility must
be large enough, with hangar doors closed, to house the largest
aircraft in the airline’s fleet that will be serviced. This hangar should
include height for the vertical tail section, as well as space around the
aircraft to accommodate maintenance stands and other work units
necessary for the maintenance work. On occasion, airlines are
required to work on aircraft with the vertical tail section sticking out
of the hangar with hangar doors not fully closed. This is an acceptable
procedure when the only alternative is modifying the hangar or
building a new one.
The hangar building itself also provides space for numerous
support shops, the overhaul shop and ground support equipment, as
well as office space for the hangar maintenance management, PP&C,
stores and logistics, and administration staff. A dock area should be
provided to serve as the control center of the hangar maintenance
check-in progress. This includes the space where work cards and
nonroutine work cards are kept for the purpose of assigning work and
signing off various maintenance job tasks. This area is also the central
point of hangar supervisory and inspection personnel. This dock area
is to hangar maintenance what the MCC is to line maintenance: the
center of activity and control. The parts and supplies needed for
maintenance being performed in the hangar should be stored in a
dedicated area as near the aircraft as possible. Separate space should
be provided for the items removed from the aircraft and for new items
to be installed. All items should be properly tagged.
Hangar floor layouts and dock spacing are planned according to
the fleet type, which may include aircraft with four engines, aircraft
with two engines, wide-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft, and
aircraft with differing engine locations. The hangar is to
accommodate maintenance simultaneously on different types of
aircraft. The hangar floor maps and layouts are normally identified in
the airline’s TPPM. Depending on the airline’s operation and the
work performed, it may require a separate dock and a separate crew to
perform different tasks. The hangar capabilities and needs from those
mentioned are essentially the same:
(a) Hangar space must be adequate for the work performed,
(b) Hangar maintenance must be planned, scheduled, and
controlled to ensure that the required work is completed on time.
Organization of Hangar Maintenance
Hangar maintenance is a manager-level position under the
director of aircraft maintenance (DOM). Under the DOM is a typical
organizational structure with managerial and supervisory positions:
aircraft maintenance, GSE, facilities, and support shops. The
supervisor of aircraft maintenance is responsible for all the hangar
maintenance activities. He or she controls the flow of aircraft into and
out of the check, as well as the maintenance crews working the
checks. The supervisor of aircraft maintenance coordinates with the
overhaul and support shops, materials, production planning and
control, flight line maintenance, and flight operations regarding the
aircraft in the hangar. The supervisor of GSE and facilities are
responsible for all ground support equipment used to support the
hangar maintenance personnel, as well as the flight line maintenance
activity and the building and facilities used by maintenance. The
supervisor of support shops is responsible for all support activities for
aircraft service and maintenance that is not designated as overhaul
shops. The support shops include those in support of welding,
composite material, sheet metal, upholstery, seats, and interior. The
following sections of this chapter will discuss hangar maintenance,
support shops, and overhaul shops.
Problem Areas in Hangar Maintenance
There are several areas within the hangar maintenance activity
that, at times, may cause some problems. These are discussed below
to prepare the reader for the real world of maintenance.
Nonroutine items
The basic maintenance checks have task requirements for
various inspections, functional checks, and operational checks of the
aircraft equipment. These are known as routine maintenance items,
and they require a fixed amount of time to be accomplished. The time
requirements are identified in the MPD/OAMP and the estimated
items required for completing the job, assuming that all parts,
supplies, tooling, equipment, and personnel are available at the
aircraft. The requirements assume that all work will go smoothly and
without any delays or interruptions and that the mechanics will know
exactly what to do and how to do it. The airlines usually multiply the
estimated time by two or three (more for older aircraft) in order to be
more realistic. This is usually done by engineering when the
maintenance program is developed or by PP&C when the planning is
done.
If things always went according to plan, all the work needed for
most checks would be straightforward and maintenance activities
would require a fixed amount of time. Nevertheless, many of these
routine tasks will reveal problems that must be addressed. The
requirements in skills, parts, supplies, and time can vary considerably
depending on the nature of the discrepancy found. These are called
nonroutine items and, by their nature, they can extend the aircraft
downtime needed to accomplish the hangar check. It is the
responsibility of the hangar maintenance or dock supervisor to
adequately estimate the time required for these nonroutine items. It is
an ongoing effort for the maintenance crew and management to
ensure that these nonroutine items do not cause undue delays. While
no mechanic likes to have his or her work timed, it is important for
planning purposes to know how long it takes (on average) to perform
these nonroutine jobs so that proper planning can be done in the
future. It is information that is gathered over a period of several check
cycles.
Parts availability
One activity that affects maintenance downtime is the time mechanics
spend “chasing parts.” Again, it is a function of PP&C to determine
what parts and supplies will be needed for routine and nonroutine
work, as well as for items deferred from other maintenance checks
and those parts required by service bulletins, airworthiness directives,
and any other work to be incorporated in the scheduled check.
Material is responsible for the delivery of parts and supplies to the
hangar just-in-time (JIT) for maintenance to use them. The hangar
management, in turn, must provide a parts staging area in the hangar
near the aircraft dock for these parts and supplies to be delivered and
stored. This area must be accessible to the work force and at the same
time protected from parts robbing or pilferage. This area should also
provide space for mechanics to drop off any parts removed from the
aircraft that are to be repaired or discarded, so that material may
properly process them. It is the responsibility of maintenance to
ensure that these items are properly tagged. The establishment of this
parts staging area and the delivery of parts when needed allows
maintenance people to exert their time and effort on the job they were
hired to do—maintenance—rather than spend it traipsing around the
airport gathering the parts and supplies they need.
The saga of parts robbing
Parts robbing or cannibalization, as it called in aircraft
maintenance, is a necessary evil. We are primarily against the practice
but understand its necessity at times. This is particularly true if you
want to meet the deadlines and goals established for the airline
maintenance programs: To deliver an airworthy vehicle to the flight
department in time to maintain the flight schedule and to deliver the
aircraft with all required maintenance accomplished. The quick return
of an airplane to service by line maintenance is an admirable
achievement, but robbing a part from another aircraft in order to do so
often results in the delay of that second aircraft being returned to
service. A typical scenario goes something like this:
Aircraft tail number (TN) 317 is in transit (30-minute turnaround) and
will require a part that is not available in stores due to a maintenance
discrepancy. To avoid the delay or cancellation of TN 317’s
scheduled flight, the needed part is taken from TN 324, which is in
the hangar undergoing a “C” check. Thus, TN 317 is returned to
service without incurring a delay and flight operations, line
maintenance, the airline business office, and the passengers are all
happy, but what about hangar maintenance?
First, did hangar maintenance order the part as an aircraft on
ground (AOG) for TN 324? If the hangar maintenance personnel had
completed the necessary maintenance (routine and nonroutine,
modification, etc.) on the system from which the part is cannibalized,
the work must be repeated in whole or in part.
This may also cause delay in the “C” check release if the part is not
available. If any case, the part is not available and the aircraft is ready
to come out of the “C” check except that the robbed part has not
arrived. In respect to our goals, the part must be robbed from another
incoming “C” check aircraft and the cycle of cannibalization
continues from aircraft to aircraft until the part ordered arrives.
Hangar maintenance normally fills out cannibalization paperwork,
which is a written explanation of where the part was robbed from (if
there is more than one part on the aircraft); part description, serial
number, and, location; and what aircraft the robbed part is installed
on.
The rules regarding parts robbing are established in the aircraft
TPPM or an airline’s aircraft operations manual. The policies do
specify
(a) Cannibalization of parts should only be practiced in absolute
necessity
(b) Parts must be ordered through stores and material
(c) Robbing parts should only be done with the consent of
management.
 The entire intent of cannibalization is to enable the aircraft to
return to service promptly, to ensure that the required part is on order,
and to ensure that all M&E units concerned are aware of the situation
and its status. It is in keeping with the objective of maintenance to
avoid unnecessary repetition of work. If it is necessary to increase the
stock level of the subject part in order to avoid parts robbing, this
should be determined and addressed early in the process, thus
avoiding similar problems in the future.
Hangar Maintenance Activity—A Typical “C” Check
The content of a “C” check will vary from one airline to
another, from one aircraft to another, and even from one check to
another for the same aircraft or type. The discussion that follows is
typical and, for convenience, is divided into several stages, which, in
reality, may overlap or even fuse together. For this illustration, we
will break the typical check into five sections:
(1) preparation
(2) preliminary activities
(3) conduct of the check
(4) completion and sign-off
(5) return to service.
Preparation for “C” check
We have already discussed the preliminary activities of engineering
production planning and control and the M&E planning meeting so
these will not be repeated here. To begin the actual check, the hangar
maintenance organization must prepare for receipt of the aircraft and
for the logistics and management of the check. The hangar is cleaned;
space is cleared for the aircraft; stands, scaffolding, and other
equipment needed are brought into the hangar for immediate use or
made available for later use. The parts storage area is stocked with
parts and supplies needed for the work to be performed. This, of
course, is an ongoing process throughout the check. The parts and
supplies will be delivered “as needed” or just-in-time.
In the dock area, where administration and management of the
check takes place, a large wall rack with pockets is populated with all
routine task cards as required by the maintenance program and the
particular check to be performed. There is a row for the cards of each
work center (avionics, hydraulics, etc.) and two marked-off areas to
separate the completed cards from those still to be worked. Work
crews are available or on standby waiting for the arrival of the
aircraft.
Preliminary “C” check activities
The first order of business, usually, is to wash the aircraft. The
vehicle is towed by ground crews, with appropriate “wing walkers”
and communications gear for safety, to the wash rack area for a
thorough cleaning. After washing is done, the aircraft is towed to the
hangar where it is parked and chocked; now the work begins. Panels
and cowlings are opened and visual inspections are conducted. Any
discrepancies found at this time will require nonroutine work cards.
These cards are generated by QC and are placed in the card rack for
later accomplishment with other work cards. Next, or in conjunction
with the inspections, the stands and scaffolding (as needed) will be
placed around the aircraft to allow access to work areas during the
check. Any ground power, pneumatic, or hydraulic carts, as well as
any special tools and test equipment needed for the scheduled tasks,
will also be put into place.
Conduction of the “C” check
Mechanics are assigned to tasks according to the check schedule
produced by PP&C in an efficient manner. The work to be done in
any given area by more than one work center is scheduled in sequence
to avoid congestion in the work area and to minimize the opening and
closing of panels, cowlings, etc. Any nonroutine items generated
during normal work will be written on nonroutine cards and worked
or scheduled for work at a later time. Most units produce a PERT
chart or some other form of visual aid showing the planned work
schedule. This chart is updated, or annotated, as necessary during the
check to accommodate the nonroutine work or any other delays or
schedule adjustments that may be encountered.
Requests for additional parts and/or supplies not in the original
plan, or for parts and supplies not yet delivered to the work site, will
be relayed to material by the dock staff. Material will deliver these
items to the parts staging area to eliminate parts chasing by
mechanics.
Quality control inspectors will reinspect any items previously
rejected and approve the work (buyback, see Chap. 17). Any delays in
the check schedule, especially those affecting return to service, will
be coordinated with the MCC and flight operations by the dock
manager. If all goes well, the “C” check will be completed on time
and the aircraft will come out of check “clean,” i.e., all required tasks
completed with no deferred maintenance items.
Completion and sign-off of the “C” check
Although the maintenance work is the key part of the effort, the
check is not really complete until it has been assured that all task
cards—routine and nonroutine—have been completed, signed off, and
where required, inspected, stamped, and approved by quality control.
That includes all rejected work and the subsequent rework and
buyback actions. The person responsible for this activity is the senior
QC inspector assigned to the check. He or she must review every
work card for mechanics’ signatures or initials as required, indicating
accomplishment and completion of the task and for QC stamps (and
initials) for any work where QC inspection is required. Any
discrepancies noted at this time must be corrected even if it requires
further work and inspection. When all work cards have been
completed, signed off, and accepted, QC signs off the check as
complete and releases the aircraft out of check, ready for service.
Return to service
Once QC has signed off the check, the dock manager notifies
MCC and flight operations of the availability of the aircraft. The
aircraft is then towed from the hangar to the ramp by maintenance,
and Flight Ops returns the aircraft to the active flight schedule.
Ground crews service the vehicle (fuel, food, etc.), and cabin crews
ready the aircraft for passengers.
Meanwhile …
Once the check is completed and the aircraft has been moved
out of the hangar, there is a requirement for a clean-up effort in the
hangar and the dock area. First, all completed task cards must be
collected and sent to other M&E units (PP&C, engineering, and
reliability as required) for analysis and recording of significant items.
This will aid PP&C in planning future checks and will permit
engineering and reliability to tally the information on check findings
to aid in future problem investigations and for possible adjustment
(escalation) of task or check intervals. Any unused, repairable, or
discarded items remaining in the parts staging area will be removed
by material and processed as necessary. Hangar and dock areas will
be cleaned and put in order for the next activity when the whole
process is repeated for the next aircraft, which may be the same model
with similar check requirements, or a different model aircraft with
completely different requirements. The size of the airline and its fleet
makeup will vary hangar activities for specific checks, but the process
is essentially the same for all of them.
Morning Meetings
One of the most important activities of the M&E operation is the
morning meeting. This is held first thing each morning and is
conducted by maintenance control center (MCC) to address current
maintenance status:
1. Aircraft out of service with maintenance status throughout
airline’s system (hangar and line maintenance)
2. Aircraft AOG situation and resolutions
3. The day’s flight schedule
4. Any significant issues or changes in maintenance that may
affect the day’s flight and maintenance work schedule.
During this morning meeting, maintenance personnel may also
discuss (or there may be a separate meeting on) upcoming hangar and
shop maintenance activities and problems. There is another meeting
following the morning MCC aircraft maintenance situation meeting,
where daily maintenance planning is discussed, including the aircraft
routing due to required maintenance and requirements for logistics
and tooling which may be needed. The purpose of these meetings is to
enable M&E managers and supervisors to keep abreast of everything
that is going on in the maintenance area and quickly address any
problems that may arise.
Hangar maintenance support and overhaul shops (off-aircraft)
Hangar maintenance and overhaul shops are a vital part of the
hangar operation. These shops are designed to help and support heavy
aircraft maintenance checks (“C” and “D” checks) and consist of
various specialties. The employees in these support shops require
special skills for the work they perform. They do not require an FAA
license as do those who work in the overhaul shops, who are required
to have either an A&P license or an FAA repairman certificate. The
support shop work can be performed on the aircraft or off the aircraft,
depending on the work discrepancy. Due to the nature of some
repairs, these heavy tasks are done while the aircraft is out of service
for a length of time. Thus, support and overhaul shops are part of the
hangar maintenance function.
Hangar support and overhaul shops consist of various
specialties. They perform work to refurbish or repair aircraft panels,
surfaces, and aircraft engine cowlings (sheet metal or composite)
material. They also have an interior shop for repair, modification, and
refurbishment of aircraft interiors; repair and modification of
passenger and crew seats; and aircraft painting. The shops associated
with hangar activity would be those working in welding (gas, electric,
and heliarc).
The work performed by these shops is not directly a part of the
scheduled maintenance program, and it is not specified in the MRB
document or the airline Ops Spec as routine or nonroutine
maintenance, but work will be required on the various components
mentioned above from time to time, either by nonroutine work card or
by SB, AD, or an EO. Some airlines may also perform work in these
support shops for other airlines or fixed-base operators to generate
revenue.
  Support and Overhaul Shops Organization
The manager of the overhaul shop is responsible for overall
management and administration of maintenance support and overhaul
shops. With the aid of shop supervisors, managers oversee and
manage overhaul, repair, and maintenance of components and
equipment removed from the aircraft for maintenance. This
maintenance can be anything from simple cleaning and adjustment to
complete overhaul.
Shop maintenance is normally done on an out-of-service basis:
equipment is removed from the aircraft and replaced with a
serviceable unit by the line or hangar maintenance personnel. The
removed unit, properly tagged as to maintenance status, is then sent to
stores and material, where it is either discarded according to standard
maintenance procedures or routed to the appropriate shop for repair.
This would include the airline’s shop or an approved component
repair contractor. Units under warranty would be sent to the
manufacturer or to the designated warranty repair facility by material.
Upon completion of such repair, the unit is returned to material with a
serviceable tag then returned to stores for future use as required. On
certain occasions, determined by the airline and the circumstances, a
unit may be removed from an aircraft by the line or hangar
maintenance personnel, sent to the appropriate shop for repair, and
returned to the aircraft for reinstallation.
Types of Shops
There are two types of shop maintenance activities in an airline
maintenance organization. One type is the shop function that is related
to hangar maintenance on aircraft in heavy check. These support
shops include such special skills and activities as working with sheet
metal, composite material, and aircraft interiors. The work they do is
primarily in support of out of service aircraft, although some support
is given to line maintenance as needed.
 The other types of maintenance support and overhaul shops involve
support for the specialized equipment on the aircraft, such as engines,
avionics, and hydraulic and pneumatic systems. The work performed
in these shops is on equipment that has been removed from the
aircraft during line or hangar maintenance operations.
Sheet metal shop
The shop normally handles all types of sheet metal work, which
can include working with aluminum, steel, composites, honeycomb,
and other material as needed. The sheet metal shop repairs any kind of
damage to the aircraft skin, structures, fuselage, and wings.
While an aircraft is in “C” or “D” check, the sheet metal shop
normally works on modifications, corrosion problems, and previously
deferred maintenance items requiring sheet metal or composite type
work, such as minor damages, scratches, and repairs using the
structure repair manual (SRM). The PP&C normally assigns all work
prior to aircraft arriving for its “C” check, and under the PP&C, the
sheet metal shop performs ADs, SBs, and EOs, as well as addressing
discrepancies found during routine, nonroutine, and schedule work.
This shop also supports any unscheduled maintenance needed for line
operation.
During downtime, the sheet metal shop works on making the
complex templates that will be needed later for repairs and overhauls.
They also repair composite panels that have been removed from
previous aircraft for repair due to cracking or minor damages and that
will be ready to be placed in the next aircraft if needed.
Aircraft interior shop
The aircraft interior shop repairs, fabricates, and overhauls
anything that is inside the aircraft. This includes removing and
overhauling passenger and flight crew seats; removing and
overhauling aircraft galley and gallery areas, and beverage serving
carts; and overhauling the entire aircraft lavatories.
They install new wall covering, wall bumpers, side panels, and
overhead panels. The interior shop removes and replaces cabin
windows due to scratches and dents and the cockpit windshield and
side windows. Special attention is required while removing and
installing cockpit windows due to the torque requirements of the nuts
and bolts and sealants. After window installations, the aircraft must be
pressurized to make sure there are no pressure leaks. The interior shop
also paints aircraft inside and out. Interior paint is applied to overhead
panels and overhead bins. Painting the aircraft exterior is a very big
and difficult task, and there is no room for error.
Engine shop
The engine shop is the largest shop in terms of space requirements.
Besides the shop area for working on small parts (bench work), the
engine shop also needs an area for engine buildup (EBU) activities.
This is where certain components, such as the fuel pump, fuel lines,
generators, ignition igniters, engine mounts, and other components,
are added to a basic engine to configure it for a given model aircraft
for a specific position on the airplane (i.e., right, left, center, or wing
position 1, 2, 3, or 4). This effort requires a suitable engine work
stand for holding the engine while the EBU process is underway. The
EBU activity is done off-aircraft, minimizing the time required for an
engine change, and it results in shorter downtime for the aircraft. This
is known as the quick engine change (QEC) process.
The engine shop also performs work and inspection on turbine
accessories and any auxiliary power units (APU). APUs are small
engines normally located at the tail end of aircraft, providing power
while the aircraft is parked.
 It is also the engine shop’s function to remove oil and fuel lines
and generator sensors, and perform boroscope inspection of engines
removed from aircraft prior to sending them to overhaul. The engine
shop normally follows the engine removal and installation parts
inventory checklist, which shows a detailed list of part numbers and
serial numbers of on and off parts and serviceable tags information.
This includes the aircraft “N” registration number for tracking
purposes due to the service life of the part(s) installed.
The engine shop also requires an engine run-up area situated away
from the main facility (for noise reasons) to allow ground testing of
engines mounted on the aircraft before or after maintenance. A large
sound barrier (baffle) structure is part of this engine run-up area. For
airlines with a mixed fleet, there may be separate engine shops within
the engine facility for different models; however, some facilities may
be combined.
Not all airlines have engine shops like the ones previously
mentioned; depending on the airlines and their lesser agreements with
the aircraft owner or the aircraft engine manufacturers, the airline may
remove and install pre-QEC engines. The off engine from the aircraft
is sent back to an aircraft leasing company or the engine manufacturer
for overhaul.
Avionics shop
Avionics refers to a wide assortment of systems used in aviation
that include both electrical and electronics systems. The avionics
shops can take on a variety of configurations depending on many
factors. There may be a separate electrical shop that addresses
electrical system components only, such as motors, generators, power
distribution systems, or power buses. The electronics systems, which
include radios, navigation system, computers, inside telephone (PA
announcement system), media, flight deck instruments, and control
units of all types, will be handled by various specialty shops in a large
airline. Avionics repair shops will have similar mockups of aircraft
systems, and after a repair, a part can be tested prior to being installed
on aircraft. Avionics personnel also repair engine harnesses, which
can be very tedious due to the number of wires located in a bundle.
If there are any new modifications, new avionics systems to install,
or a need for wires to be run within the aircraft structures, “C” and
“D” checks are the best time to do so, since all the aircraft side panels,
ceiling panels, flight deck computer racks, and instrument panels are
removed for inspection and repairs. Avionics technicians must be
sophisticated troubleshooters due to the complexity of the equipment
they use to diagnose navigations and radio communications errors,
and it is their job to find the problem that is causing a system to
malfunction.
Instruments, both conventional electromechanical instruments and
electronic or glass cockpit displays, will be handled by the
appropriately skilled technicians either in a single instrument shop or
in separate shops for each of the two types mentioned. Conventional
instruments would be flap position indicators, aircraft attitude
indicators, magnetic compasses, and any other galvanometer-type
instruments. The glass cockpit instruments, more correctly referred to
as displays, include CRT versions of the above instruments. In
modern airliners, the same display units can sometimes be used for an
attitude display indicator (ADI), as well as the horizontal situation
indicator (HSI), which shows a map of the flight plan with waypoints
and other information. Other displays may use liquid crystal display
(LCD) panels. These electronic displays are more the domain of the
electronics shop than the instruments shop, however.
Ground Support Equipment Shop (GSE)
The ground support equipment shop is one of the busiest shops
because modern commercial aircraft require a considerable amount of
tooling and equipment to support maintenance operation activities.
Support shop work, while in support of all aircraft, can be done
on or off the aircraft; but since it is usually extensive in nature, it is
normally done while the aircraft is out of service. Thus, support shops
normally are part of the hangar maintenance function.
Hangar support shops consist of various specialties. They
perform work to refurbish or repair aircraft panels, surfaces, and
cowlings made of sheet metal and composite materials. There will
also be a fabrics and interiors shop for the repair and refurbishment of
aircraft interiors. Aircraft seats, both passenger and crew, will be
removed, installed, and repaired by a seat shop which may be part of
or separate from the interiors shop. Other shops associated with the
hangar activity would be those doing work in welding (gas, electric,
and heliarc).
The work performed by these shops is not directly a part of the
scheduled maintenance program and is not specified in the MRB
document or the airline’s Ops Specs as routine or nonroutine
maintenance but work will be required on the various components
mentioned above from time to time either by nonroutine work card or
by SB, AD, or EO. Additional work for these shops may come from
the GSE and facilities requirements whenever such special skills are
needed to repair these units. Airlines may also perform work in these
support shops for other airlines or fixed-base operators.
Ground Support Equipment
Modern commercial aircraft require a considerable amount of
tools and equipment to support the maintenance and operations
activities. In addition to the tools and test sets used by mechanics and
technicians for normal maintenance, there is a vast array of equipment
that comes under the special heading of ground support equipment.
There are also special tools and jigs for maintenance activities that are
designed for one type of aircraft only; other special tools and jigs are
usable on several types of aircraft.
Ground support equipment is defined as “that equipment
required to support the operation and maintenance of the aircraft and
all its airborne equipment.” This GSE includes an extensive variety of
equipment ranging from simple jacks and stands to million dollar
towbarless towing vehicles. For the sake of discussion, we can divide
GSE into two broad categories:
(a) Equipment to support the servicing and handling of
operational aircraft while engaged in flight turnaround and ground
movement activities;
(b) Equipment used to facilitate maintenance whether at
turnaround or during scheduled or unscheduled downtime.
The first category, servicing and handling equipment, can be
further divided into GSE that is owned and operated by the airport
authority or terminal operator and that owned by the airline itself. The
second category, maintenance equipment, includes equipment that
may be used on the flight line, in the hangar, or shared by both
activities. This breakdown is shown in Fig.
Table is a list of typical ground support equipment used for handling,
servicing, and maintaining aircraft. The table identifies typical
ownership and usage of the GSE. To maximize in-service reliability
and profitability, operators must procure GSE and tooling appropriate
for their aircraft when a new model is being incorporated into the
fleet. Tugs, tows, towbars, and other special tools and fixtures are
sometimes mated to specific aircraft models. Other GSE and tooling
can be used on more than one type of aircraft. The GSE and facilities
organization must work with engineering at the outset, whenever the
purchase or lease of new aircraft is considered, to determine what
existing equipment and tools (if any) can be used with the new model
and to determine what additional equipment and tools must be
ordered specifically for the new model. This activity should be done
at least 9 to 12 months prior to delivery of the first aircraft so that
these tools and equipment will be available when the aircraft arrives.
Mechanical shops
The mechanical component shop can also be separated or
combined depending upon airline size and requirements. These shops
would include hydraulic systems and components, pneumatic systems
and components (heat, air), oxygen systems, and flight control
surfaces. The battery shop is also part of the mechanical shop, where
maintenance personnel repair, store, and charge aircraft batteries. The
wheel, tire, and brake shop has responsibility for various actions
relating to the aircraft:
(a) the repair, assembly, and disassembly of aircraft wheels;
(b) the repair, servicing, and retreading of aircraft tires;
(c) adjustment and placement of aircraft brakes. Again, these
activities may be performed in one or several shops depending on the
amount of work and the complexity of the fleet.
Outsourcing of Shop Maintenance Work
As with line and hangar maintenance, some or all of the shop
maintenance at a given airline can be outsourced to other airlines or to
third-party maintenance organizations. In the case of partial
outsourcing, the director of overhaul shops is responsible for
coordinating these activities into the overall airline maintenance plan.
If all shop maintenance is done by outside contractors, the overhaul
shops directorate would not exist at the airline. However, to ensure
that work is done within the airline’s schedule and maintenance plan,
someone in the aircraft maintenance directorate of the M&E
organization must be designated as the overhaul shop maintenance
coordinator.
Operation of Overhaul Shops
Work on a flight line is hectic at times and subject to flight
schedules, maintenance emergencies, foul weather, and the ever-
irritating “time limitations.”
Hangar work may be less hectic with more time to accomplish
each job, but there is still a time limitation and other pressures. In
shop maintenance, however, the pressures of time and schedule are
somewhat lessened by the nature of the shop operation.
 Items come in for servicing, repair, or overhaul and are
addressed, usually by specialists in the type of equipment or system
involved. Some of the basic troubleshooting has already been done to
indicate such-and-such a unit is bad and has to be replaced. This done,
the mechanic turns the errant item into material and draws a good one
for installation. Material, then, sends the properly tagged incoming
unit to the appropriate shop. The shop mechanic or technician then
uses his or her standard bench check procedures to determine the
problem, make the necessary repairs, and perform some check to
ensure that the job has been completed successfully. Once
maintenance is completed and the proper paperwork filled out and
attached, the serviceable unit is sent back to material for placement in
stores for reissue when needed.
Each maintenance shop will have a work area and a storage area
with adequate separation of serviceable, unserviceable, and discarded
units. Usually there will be a spare parts area, maintained by material,
for the small parts needed for work. Again, proximity of these areas to
the work area minimizes the time a mechanic spends in “parts
chasing.” Of course, each shop will be equipped with the necessary
tools, work benches, test stands, and test equipment for the type of
equipment to be worked on. Appropriate safety equipment for the
work performed and hazardous materials handled (if any) should be
readily available and accessible to the employees. Suitable office
space will be provided for administrative and management functions.
The overhaul shops generally work a standard shift, with or
without overtime; night shift and weekend work depends on the
airline and its workload. The pace may be slower than on line or in
hangar, but short turnaround for maintenance or mean time to repair
(MTTR), is still important. The number of items held in stock is based
not only on the failure rate for the fleet, but also on the amount of
time it takes to pass the repairable item through maintenance. The
sequence goes like this:
 (a) Remove unit from the aircraft;
(b) Send the unit to material for replacement;
(c) Route unit to the repair facility (in-house or third party);
(d) Return serviceable unit to stores for reissue.
Shop Data Collection
The airline’s maintenance reliability program, involves many
data collection tasks throughout the M&E activity. One very
important source of such data is the overhaul shops. While flight line
and hangar reports provide information on systems and components,
the shop data provide useful information on internal components of
equipment and subsystems that contribute to the on-aircraft failures
and write-ups. These shop data collection efforts are submitted
through shop tear-down reports that identify servicing, repair, and
overhaul actions taken, as well as the parts and supplies used in that
maintenance work. These components are then tracked by reliability
to determine if there is an unnecessarily high failure rate that should
be of concern to the airline or the equipment manufacturer.