Value for Money Review - Maintanance of DF aircraft

[Parts]

The problem would not be sending the personnel to an airline to learn, it would be getting a public sector "union" to agree to new work practices, even if it is for the betterment of the Corps. The Trade Union in this country has far too much power; where once it was a guardian against injustice and oppression, it is now the single biggest stumbling-block to progress and the biggest threat to efficiency and competitiveness: the all-encompassing "She who must be obeyed", before even the slightest change is brought in. Thankfully, in our job, the RAs don't have quite so much power and can basically be told to shut up and get on with it, but imagine the snags thrown your way if you tried to bring in shift-work, no matter how sensible it is. "...offer to pay them a few quid more...": you'd have a huge pay claim on your desk and the threat of "Blue Flus", "Unofficial Press-Conferences" etc on the way.

[DeV]

The problem would not be sending the personnel to an airline to learn, it would be getting a public sector "union" to agree to new work practices, even if it is for the betterment of the Corps.

And getting them back at the end of the secondment!

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
I agree that there would be opposition from seat-fillers but a lot of the actual work practises are essentially unofficial local arrangements. I witnessed many times, the ability of persons to engage in deliberate, unprovable "work-to-rule" when it suited them, but making positive change is not undo-able. From experience, a lot of techs would prefer to be left alone to get on with the job, rather than constantly being redirected to other stuff.There is a specific need for altering the current practises in the workshops as well. A lot is happening already but it's a slow process. The alternative is to civilianise virtually everything and the GoC will do it if he does not get what he wants.

[DeV]

Recently read an article in Air Forces Monthly, it quoted "sources" as saying that the serviceability of the British Army's Air Corps Lynx fleet was as low as 25%.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
The bean-counters brought in a "lean" maintenance programme, in which maintenance heads try to predict the absolute minimum of stock needed to keep a fleet going.So, if the fleet of Lynxs use 10 engines per year in peacetime, then the MoD will fund ten engines and no more.naturally, war service in a hot and dusty environment is no respecter of bean-counters' estimates, so the fleet consumes 20 engines per year. result: fleets grounded as mechs scavenge from one aircraft to another to try and keep them going.
also, stupidities like a grounded fleet of Chinooks in storage in the Uk and problems with the UK Apaches fleet are leaving the BA really stuck.
regards
GttC

[Steamy Window]

What exactly is the problem with the Chinooks?

[ODIN]

Was it not some radar problem?

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
After the crash of the Chinook in Scotland, doubts were raised about the engine's FADEC, which is a computer which controls the engines. There were also issues raised about wiring standards and crash survivability.So, a batch of them have ended up in store while the manufacturers and the MoD argue about them.
regards
GttC

[Bosco]

Hi there
The bean-counters brought in a "lean" maintenance programme, in which maintenance heads try to predict the absolute minimum of stock needed to keep a fleet going.So, if the fleet of Lynxs use 10 engines per year in peacetime, then the MoD will fund ten engines and no more.naturally, war service in a hot and dusty environment is no respecter of bean-counters' estimates, so the fleet consumes 20 engines per year. result: fleets grounded as mechs scavenge from one aircraft to another to try and keep them going.
also, stupidities like a grounded fleet of Chinooks in storage in the Uk and problems with the UK Apaches fleet are leaving the BA really stuck.
regards
GttC

Oh dear god they tried to lean the military.
That is not what lean is meant for.

[DeV]

What exactly is the problem with the Chinooks?

See here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3606325.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3609713.stm
http://www.pprune.org/forums/printth...t=109805&pp=40
http://www.publications.parliament.u...t/31113w09.htm
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/n.../0304486es.pdf

[IL2M]

Interesting thread.

[thebig C]

100%

The Long Beach Police in California operate EC 130s, which entered into service at the end of 2002. After two years, the two aircraft had a 100% availability rate, even though they fly approximately 10 hours per day, seven days a week.

It can be done....

[Turkey]

Yes carpark, it can be done, 100% availability of PC-9M's last week.
Strange how you were too busy nit-picking to notice that........

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi carrington and Turkey
That's only ten hours per day, which leaves 14 for maintenance.That's why they have such high availability....Turkey, that 100% won't last. It won't even stay close to that. It'll be back to the usual 5 or 6 per day, which is not bad, as such. You should regard that 100 % as little more than a gimmick. If the Air Corps could actually sustain, airline-style, a 90% or greater serviceability, then I'd be impressed.
regards
GttC