How We Save You Money
What's most expensive?
What’s the most expensive aspect of owning a jet? Surprisingly, it’s not the pilots, fuel or operation of the airplane. Over time, maintenance is the most expensive.
Blue Skies Aviation can change that for you. That’s because we know what to look for, and we work with the pilots, engineers and flight crew to minimize your expenses. For example, did you know that reduced-thrust takeoffs save engine life? Or that consistently using runway length instead of excessive braking increases the lifespan of brakes (one of the most expensive components on larger jets ) by several months? Adjustments like these reduce the cost per hour to the company substantially.
Maintenance organizations are notorious for seeing owners of corporate and private jets as “fat cats” that won’t mind spending a few hundred more here or there. If you, or the person charged with scheduling the maintenance, do not have intimate knowledge of the aircraft or of aircraft maintenance, you’re at their mercy.
Doing things more economically
By engaging our services, you arm yourself against being taken advantage of. As pilots and jet owners ourselves, we at Blue Skies Aviation operate from a stance of: “Let’s have a look at that. Let’s do things more economically.” The engineers we work with don’t just order parts from the first person they talk to but rather call around and perform a good price check on warranties and core exchange options. They don’t buy a new light switch just because a wire came loose; if the switch is still in good working order, they will re-fasten the wire, saving you money.
And then there’s servicing the fire bottles, required as part of the standard 50-hour inspection for several aircraft makes and models. The maintenance company can bill you for up to two and a half hours because the manufacturer’s CMP (computerized maintenance program) says that that is the maximum time allocated for that part of the inspection. Yet, unless there are extenuating circumstances, servicing the fire bottles doesn’t take more than half an hour. We will question that charge and many others like it. We go through the 50-hour inspection like that and suddenly the $160,000 quote becomes a $54,000 job. A third example is an aircraft’s scheduled maintenance, which requires going to a specialized maintenance facility. The customer has no choice; by law they must go to this facility, and if not watchful, they can again be taken advantage of. To prevent that for our clients, we attend the inspection, along with our company engineer, and question each of the procedures and charges. Is what they are saying accurate? Is that step of the scheduled maintenance actually required at that specific time? Does this airplane really need a huge outlay for a new gear system, or simply some replacement parts?
Small enough to attend to the details
As experienced pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians on a wide variety of aircraft, we know the points of maintenance that can be negotiated and those that can’t; we know details that make things flow a little more smoothly or make things slightly more cost-effective. We know the arguments and the counter-arguments. We know enough to question and are experienced enough to know the role that each of the components plays. Blue Skies Aviation’s benefit lies in being small; we are able to take the time to attend to this level of detail. We make sure the work done is necessary and the bill that is paid realistic and accurate. The financial impact can be huge.