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EASA 50hr service time limit, extensions, and pilot maintenance privileges

What happens if you are at say 40hrs, go on a trip which should take 8hrs, but there is headwind and it takes you past the 50? AIUI you can get a 10% extension authorised.

Now let’s say you are extended to 55hrs, and at 48hrs you go on a trip which should take 5hrs, but there is a similar delay and you reach the 55hrs limit.

AIUI your CAMO can authorise somebody out there (Part M) to do the service.

But a service on a SEP is generally within pilot privileges, so what prevents the pilot doing the service himself?

One issue is that most schools/clubs do not allow pilot maintenance. But is that legal? Clubs don’t make law. So the pilot could just do the service and tell the club to stick their rules where it is warm and dark. The club might throw you out, of course.

Another approach, in a pilot maintenance scenario, is just doing the logbook entry, if you get what I mean? The service can be done upon return. Not exactly legal but no practical difference. If I can think of it, I am sure somebody is doing it.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Just because you can doesnt mean you should (unless you are prepared to take all the potential consequences)

Peter wrote:

Another approach, in a pilot maintenance scenario, is just doing the logbook entry, if you get what I mean? The service can be done upon return. Not exactly legal but no practical difference. If I can think of it, I am sure somebody is doing it.

If you can think of illegal activities, others can too you mean ?

Falsifying log book entries (which completing the log without the service would be) I believe can have serious consequences.. but you are not endorsing that I am sure.

unless you are prepared to take all the potential consequences

Getting chucked out of the club would seem to be the worst one, for performing the service.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

If we’re talking ELA1/NCO, you simply define your MP to follow the MIP, then you only are obliged to do a 100hr service inspection (or annual, whichever comes first). You have 10% automatically granted, no special approval necessary.

mh
Aufwind GmbH
EKPB, Germany

That’s really interesting.

As a slight aside, I wonder what led to the 100hr figure, since with the “old” engines you can’t run the oil to 100hrs, so an earlier service must still be done. It is a bit like this.

BTW my original post was an actual current real life scenario; obviously not involving myself since (a) I am N-reg and (b) nothing to do with any club.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

One issue is that most schools/clubs do not allow pilot maintenance. But is that legal? Clubs don’t make law. So the pilot could just do the service and tell the club to stick their rules where it is warm and dark. The club might throw you out, of course.

Of course it is. The aircraft is the property if the club — you can’t do anything with it without explicit permission. When you rent the aircraft you are given certain rights which need not include the right to do maintenance.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

What I meant was that if such a pilot performs a service action which is within his pilot maintenance privileges, the airworthiness of the aircraft is maintained.

The club has no power to amend the aviation regulations, or to set rules whose breach renders the aircraft unairworthy. So the flights after the service action remain legal. You just get kicked out of the club afterwards

It’s a bit like I lend you my car, and you sign a hire contract which says that you are not allowed to have sex in it but if you do have sex in it, that won’t affect the legality of you driving the car.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

the airworthiness of the aircraft is maintained.

No it’s not.

Commission Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 says:

M.A.610 Maintenance work orders
Before the commencement of maintenance a written work order shall be agreed between the organisation and the organisation requesting maintenance to clearly establish the maintenance to be carried out.
Last Edited by Guillaume at 09 May 13:46

Before the commencement of maintenance a written work order shall be agreed between the organisation and the organisation requesting maintenance to clearly establish the maintenance to be carried out.

In that case, how is pilot maintenance ever possible?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

In that case, how is pilot maintenance ever possible?

Basically, every time planned maintenance is performed :
The person responsible for aircraft airwothiness : (pick one of the two possibilities below)

  • CAMO
  • aircraft owner

sends a work order to a : (pick one of the four possibilities below)

  • Part 145 organisation
  • Part M subpart F organisation
  • Part 66 mechanic
  • Pilot owner

The “aircraft owner” and “Pilot owner” can be the same person but not necessarily.
When a pilot owner sends a works order to a pilot-owner, it does not involves any company and yet maintenance is performed according to Part-M.

Last Edited by Guillaume at 09 May 14:07
17 Posts
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