Are you an aircraft owner, a corporate flight department manager, a director of maintenance for a corporation, a director of maintenance for a small to mid-sized maintenance shop, a pilot who has been given the responsibility of managing the maintenance of an individuals or corporate aircraft?  Whatever your title or responsibility, quality maintenance and quality parts are essential to the continued safe operation of your aircraft or the aircraft that you manage and maintain.

Quality maintenance is something that you can control: by hiring qualified people or qualified shops.  Quality parts on the other hand are more difficult to ensure.  If you are part of a small maintenance shop or part of a corporate flight department, you probably realize the pressure and time constraints maintenance personnel can be under.  Some pressures that can affect maintenance personnel are pressures to get the job done quickly so trips are not cancelled or lost, pressures to get the job done without spending too much money, and pressures to do the job right without repercussions that can affect the license of the mechanic doing the work.  As maintenance personnel are under pressure to get a job done quickly, how much time is given to make sure quality parts are purchased at reasonable prices?  Quality parts are obtained through approved manufacturers, approved overhaul and repair facilities, or parts sales companies that can provide traceability and certificates of conformity.  Reasonable prices are obtained by putting the necessary time into the parts shopping, including online research, multiple phone calls, and negotiations with parts vendors.  Most small to mid-sized shops are not staffed with a dedicated parts employee, and therefore do not spend an adequate amount of time to make sure quality parts are purchased at reasonable prices.

Special Services Corporation has a dedicated parts coordinator to ensure quality parts are purchased at reasonable prices.  Not only do we do this for our aircraft and our customers, but we’ll also do it for you and yours.

James Stephens