General Aviation Maintenance
General Aviation Maintenance
The KBFS General Aviation Maintenance program is collocated with the Part 145 Avionics Installation and Repair Station at Temple Draughon-Miller Airport. The GA Maintenance shop has the capability to provide inspections, repairs, services and equipment installation for most General Aviation fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, and a selected number of legacy and advanced military aircraft. The shop is staffed by a Chief Mechanic with more than 30 years of experience in aviation maintenance and by FAA fully certified Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanics. All have completed aircraft maintenance-qualification programs through training offered by the US Military, Technical Schools, or other institutions of higher learning.
Airframe, Engine, and Electrical Repairs
FAA mandated scheduled inspections of General Aviation aircraft constitute a major portion of KBFS’ maintenance operations. However, our shop also performs work on aircraft on Government flight support contracts. Most of this work falls into the category of unscheduled maintenance repairs for airframe, engine, and electrical malfunctions. The A&P maintenance technicians also support the Avionics section on work unrelated to actual avionics installations and repairs. Tasks include inspection, troubleshooting, analysis, and repairs for specific aircraft and aircraft systems malfunctions. We also perform scheduled weighing of aircraft to ensure weight and balance charts reflect accurate and current data. Following repairs, the General Aviation Team conducts a thorough Quality Control Inspection of all work with the Chief Mechanic and completes ground and air functional checks in accordance with industry standards and checklists.
Airworthiness Directives
The KBFS General Aviation Maintenance Team does not prepare Airworthiness Certifications, but rather accomplishes inspections of aircraft and historical records to validate compliance with applicable Airworthiness Certifications and/or Directives. Following modifications and some complex repairs, aircraft must be inspected to ensure the airframe, mission equipment, and historical records reflect proper configuration and compliance with existing airworthiness certification and directives. Additionally, KBFS technicians execute airworthiness directives announced by the FAA or Original Equipment Manufacturer that may require grounding of the aircraft, timely inspections, or specific repairs.
Annual Inspections
Annual inspections of General Aviation aircraft constitute more than a third of the work accomplished in our maintenance facility. Our digital database of the most current maintenance manuals and recent updates detail the criteria and mandatory steps for each inspection. The FAA requires these inspections be accomplished by an A&P licenced mechanic. The Chief Mechanic is responsible for coordinating the inspection with the aircraft owner, going over everything the annual inspection entails and citing any parts or equipment that may require removal, repair, or replacement. Our Chief Mechanic is also responsible for the quality inspection of all work, records updates, and functional checks as required.
Sheet Metal and Composite Repair
KBFS has highly skilled capability in performing airframe sheet metal and composite repairs for General Aviation fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. We have all the tools and materials to repair and/or replace composite and sheet metal components that have apparent damage or that have exceeded wear tolerances or corrosion limits. We have experience in completing extensive repairs to compartments, wings, and even aircraft interiors damaged by cargo loads, etc.
KBFS is a registered vendor for CorrosionX® internal corrosion prevention materials, and we have many years of experience handling some of the most difficult internal aircraft structure applications.
Upgrades and Modifications
KBFS specializes in completing component and design upgrades to rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft. While the Part 145 Avionics department specializes in cockpit upgrades, the General Aviation Maintenance Section is versatile in working with the customer to plan and install upgrades or modifications to the fuselage, power plant, propeller, landing gear/brakes, and auxiliary systems like de-icing, etc. We also work with other local specialists in assisting with cabin makeovers for interior and for interior and exterior painting.