A nice community to find help and excellent knowledge: EuroGA

(FR: quitter le CAMO ?)

Let me share my course…

I spent almost 10 years in two different CAMOs. In the beginning, there was no choice really, because I didn’t know anything about airworthiness management, applicable rules, and more generally didn’t know enough about aircraft maintenance scheme.

By studying the work reports after each maintenance, exploring the maintenance manual, and obviously decrypting the new Part-ML regulation, I felt more confident.

Also, during the years, I had the opportunity to see that professional CAMO could make errors, and I can’t blame them: they have to handle tens (hundreds ?) of aircrafts, all different, and knowing the latest for each one is challenging…

Finally, two things made me take the plunge:

• First, I realized that renting my aircraft to private pilots was still within NCO scope, ie outside commercial operations. In other words, I could manage airworthiness and keep on renting my aircraft to private pilots
• Second, it was a hassle to bring my aircraft where the certified workshop was. When I inquire the CAMO to send work orders to the local mechanics (next to my hangar), they refused. Whatever their reasons, I felt captive.

So I thought, let’s give a try.

To honestly assess my knowledge and ability to do the work, I met the local inspector to chat with him. He kindly received me, and took the time to see what I knew, what tools I would work with, and explained the regulation requirements. It was the same inspector I met the next year for the Airworthiness Certificate Renewal (ARC).

As soon as my AMP was declared, I became in position to send work orders to the mechanics, each time something had to be done. Proximity and good relationship with the mechanics have provided much more flexibility. Today, I have no more conveying to organize, can inquire them when a minor squawk occurs between programmed visits, and also, can adjust much more finely when and how the work is performed.

I’m now completely free to buy parts where I find the better price. I can choose where to overhaul a propeller or magneto based on my assessment. I have a much better view than ever, on the future maintenance, and can’t be hooked anymore, when being presented a 10,000€ invoice for a “routine 100h visit”. It allowed me to feel more independent, and provided even better inside knowledge of the aircraft I fly with.

Each year, I have to renew the Airworthiness Certificate. At the times of CAMO, the workshop (now Combined Airworthiness Organization) would do, at the same time, the maintenance and the Airworthiness Certificate Renewal… Now, I have to present the aircraft to an independent state person, who independently assesses the work done and airworthiness status. I think such a separation is good. All in all, my new organization should provide the same level of security… if not higher ?

The bottom line is that I did not only save on direct CAMO cost (ca. 1500€ / year). Indirect savings (buying the parts myself, independent mechanics being less expensive than certified workshop) are also nice. Most of all, it has allowed me to completely reorganize the process of maintenance, with me being the conductor. The involvement goes with more control: I would never come back.

Tens years of ownership, from despair to uplifting perspective