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Cleaning and Maintenance Tips For Commercial Helicopters

commercial helicopter parts

When it comes to commercial helicopters, they need to be appropriately maintained to ensure that they are safe and ready to fly. The standard maintenance required for commercial helicopter parts includes:

  • Inspecting the gearbox
  • Checking the battery
  • Repairing aluminum, fiberglass airframes, steel, and coverings
  • Checking oil samples
  • Fixing electrical, fuel, and hydraulic system
  • Disassembling and repairing the engine
  • Removal and installation of aircraft subsystems assemblies
  • Servicing and lubricating aircraft subsystems
  • Diagnosing and general troubleshooting

Excluding military helicopters, there are 31,000 helicopters in the global fleet. In order to protect the people on board, regular maintenance is necessary. After every 40 flight hours, a plane is scheduled for maintenance and preventative checks, which take around 20 hours to finish. But you’ll also have to keep these helicopters clean. When cleaning your helicopter, consider the following factors:

Requirements by the Original Equipment Manufacturer

Check your helicopter manual and see what the manufacturer has recommended in terms of chemical use and proven methods. Commercial helicopter parts are expensive, so you do not want to run the risk of damaging them during the cleaning process.

Set a Cleaning Schedule for Your Helicopter

You are required to clean your helicopter as often as you fly it. If the helicopter is being used for utility operations, then schedule a regular cleaning. If your helicopter has leather finishes, you have to maintain them well. Wipe them regularly using a quality leather cleaning product. If the seats are covered with fabric, clean them as often as possible, paying attention to any spills and dirt that may damage the seats.

Synchronize Cleaning with Maintenance Tasks

Ensure that maintenance checks happen at the same time as the cleaning. Apart from saving you on time, technicians will perform tasks effectively on the commercial helicopter parts when they are clean.

Use a Dry Wash

In the past, airports have used wash pits to clean planes and other aircraft. However, due to regulations from Environmental Protection Agency, many airports have adopted the use of a dry wash or chemical wash for exterior cleanings. It is labor-intensive, but it does not use water at all. Consequently, you do not have to deal with hand-drying or water spots once you have finished cleaning. When using wash pits, water tends to enter inside access panels that can lead to corrosion if not dried completely. The dry wash method avoids this risk entirely.

Commercial helicopter parts are valuable. When it comes to cleaning and maintenance, proper planning is required to ensure nothing is damaged. But if you do have commercial helicopter parts in need of repair or replacement, make sure to work with a reputable supplier.