November/December 2023 - 39

The manufacturers have representatives at the
airport that have access to all that sort of things, so
we rely on the manufacturer quite a bit, especially
with the aircraft that is new, for support.
JP: The aircraft technology might now be a
big leap for you, but how have you prepared for
advanced technology and predictive analytics on
your new aircraft?
RC: We utilize a little bit of the predictive stuff,
especially when it comes to FDR downloads and programs
and stuff like that. It can be a tool you use in
troubleshooting. A lot of times you'll get issues that
only happen in flight and you can't produce them
on the ground. You can go and analyze that data or
access that data to help you see what's happening
in flight and help you diagnose it and do what's
right for the aircraft. From a technology standpoint,
the aircraft with the onboard computers, you can
download fault files and you can download history
histories, files. There's a lot of tools with the new
aircraft that we can use and those downloads, in
most cases, we'll send to the manufacturer. They'll
help us decipher it, point to what's going on, and
then lead us down the path to fix the airplane.
JP: As Sun Air Jets continues to diversify its fleet
and add new aircraft, what role do you try to have as
a maintenance director in influencing these investments
to ensure it's something the company can
prepare for?
RC: It's about being an advocate for the technicians
in the form of training, tooling, supplies,
facilities, and taking somewhat of a no budget sort of
approach to this. It's a safety matter, and like I said,
preparing in advance before the airplanes come is
great. At the core of that is training. It all starts
with the training, technician training.
JP: What other training does that include outside
of what the OEM provides?
RC: We have a lot of SMS-style training for
the mechanics. There's human factors. There's a
whole litany of training requirements that we do
on an annual basis for the technicians that are
non-aircraft specific. Company specific, industry
specific. Just good safety training. Good common
sense maintenance training.
JP: What is the most important piece of advice
you'd give to other maintenance directors who need
to prepare their shop when the company makes an
investment in new aircraft?
RC: I would say utilize the training. Take advantage
of it. Invest in technician training. A lot of companies
out there don't have the resources or the
money to do it. Sometimes maintenance training
is not mandatory. Anybody with an A&P license
can work on any aircraft as long as they have the
maintenance manual and the tooling to do it. It's
imperative that the mechanics in the leadership
positions lead, DOMs, whoever it may be in each
organization, push that and believe in it. There's
people out there that don't necessarily see a lot of
value in it. I disagree. You get the trainer, use the
training. There are a few organizations out there
that do supply formal training for aircraft and don't
take it for granted.
www.AviationPros.com 39
Maintenance leader
input needs to be
included with any
new airline aircraft
purchases to ensure
a smooth integration
into operation.
SUN AIR JETS
http://www.AviationPros.com
November/December 2023

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