So to the best of my understanding F-reg a/c require extra engine checks when the engine hits 2000h or 12years, at 100 hourly intervals (+a 3 yearly corrosion check) in order to be allowed run on-condition. What happens if you fly 100h a year and you time things so your annual/100h inspection coincides with these checks each year? It looks to me like the checks are mostly stuff that gets inspected at annual anyway, so can the ‘Alternative TBO’ paperwork be signed at the same time? This would make the whole thing seem rather pointless.
zuutroy wrote:
So to the best of my understanding F-reg a/c require extra engine checks when the engine hits 2000h or 12years, at 100 hourly intervals (+a 3 yearly corrosion check) in order to be allowed run on-condition. What happens if you fly 100h a year and you time things so your annual/100h inspection coincides with these checks each year? It looks to me like the checks are mostly stuff that gets inspected at annual anyway, so can the ‘Alternative TBO’ paperwork be signed at the same time? This would make the whole thing seem rather pointless.
Yes, this was what we did. However be aware that there is an upper limit of 2400 hours, then the engine has to be overhauled. I don’t remember what the maximum extension to the time limit is, but for us the 2400 hours were reached first.
If you use a self declared AMP(Part-M) you should not need to do that.
Fly310 wrote:
If you use a self declared AMP(Part-M) you should not need to do that.
We have a self declared maintenance program, approved by the French authorities, but it’s still had the upper limit of 2400 hours on the engine. It could be that the aircraft is ELA2, not 1 and for that the implementation of Part-M are behind schedule.
Surely if it needs to approved then it’s not self declared? There’s essentially no such thing as self declared for ELA2 until next spring.
Yes, if your aircraft is outside of ELA1 it the self declared program cannot be used yet. Isn’t the point with all intervals that 100 hrs is maximum and that is always the standard? But if you have only flown 10 hours, you can still do it and get another 100 hrs from that date?
Just as a data point, one of my club’s 172M (O-320) is running extremely well (the best of the fleet for me) and is approaching 2600hrs. The club shop only does a special inspection every 100hrs engine time.
I understood it as 2000 hours plus two 200 hour extensions. Does anyone have the reference for French maintenance regimes? Something like CAP411 in the UK.
Frankly, I have no idea. Mechanics are not very talkative 
All they told me is that they can extend a lot TBOs, even « on the President’s responsibility », upon a certain time. They told me something like 2400hrs on our C150s O-200, which is far more than manufacturer’s recommended TBO (1500hrs IIRC).
I think they have a special authorization from the DGAC, given their experience on Cessnas (9000 hours per year for 30+ years). As always, in France, the law is hard, but far less if you know the right people 
