When considering the purchase of a jet aircraft, one of the key components that will need to be defined upfront is engine maintenance cost. One of the best ways to manage engine maintenance cost is to enter into an agreement such as the Pratt Whitney ESP (Eagle Service Plan).
Program Benefits
With this plan and other similar plans, you can choose the level of coverage that you wish to purchase. Coverage options include but are not limited to:
• Major Scheduled Engine Maintenance
• Unscheduled engine and Accessory Maintenance
• Required Engine and Accessory Updates Such as Mandatory Service Bulletins
• Replacement of Life Limited Parts
A single engine overhaul can cost upward of a million dollars depending on the condition of the engine and its components at the time of the overhaul. The typical upper-level program would also cover things such as a rental engine to continue flying your aircraft while your engine is removed and being overhauled.
Engine Maintenance Program Specifics
Most of these programs have a rate per hour of operation of the engine that is paid at the end of the month. You simple fly your monthly schedule and report the hours flown. When that happens, the program will generate a monthly invoice. If you don’t fly that month, you won’t have any costs paid into the program. A typical engine maintenance program that covers most everything on a PW545A engine will run around $275-$300 per hour operated.
It is important to know that entering into a program agreement after the aircraft has been operated without one will result in a buy-in fee. The program company will look at the time on the engine, the engine condition, maintenance records and other critical data to determine the cost of your buy-in or pro-rata program. This is the reason that an aircraft with an engine program will have a considerably higher resell value than one without.
It is also important to note that the contract can be terminated if the engine is not maintained correctly. It is extremely important that in all inspections and maintenance be performed on time and that there are proper records in the engine log book that reflect that. The ESP program will require a regular engine compressor desalination rinse (compressor wash) to be accomplished at the interval required by the operating environment. In other words, an aircraft operated in a place like Miami would have a shorter interval due to its proximity to a salt water environment, by comparison to an aircraft operated out of Phoenix which would have a longer interval.
Another routine maintenance item includes monthly engine data downloads for engine trend monitoring. This process involves a technician connecting a laptop to access data in the engines computer, upon which a data file will be downloaded. This data is stored in the engine’s computers from previous flights and can be analyzed for engine performance. This data also can identify trends that can indicate the internal condition of the engine.
To synopsize, a quality engine program can help make engine maintenance costs more predictable. This will make it much easier to budget and properly manage your aircraft. If you are looking at buying an aircraft with jet engines, be sure to ask whether or not the engines are on a maintenance program. By doing this you will ensure you have the proper level of coverage needed. We recommend that you contact a reputable aircraft maintenance provider such as Priority Jet to help you navigate this process. Doing so will help you as the buyer understand what potential costs will be for the engines on your new aircraft.
If you are ready to pursue maintenance for your current or future aircraft, our maintenance experts would love to help you get the most out of your investment. Learn more about our maintenance program by visiting https://priorityjet.net/maintenance/.