Technically, that can't be true. Turboprop twins are subject to 91.409(e)/(f) which requires selecting an inspection program, most often the one provided by the manufacturer (TC holder).

Practically, if the manufacturer's program is an annual inspection, regardless of hours flown, and has no other staged events (no 500 hour, 2000 hour etc, items), then it is "just an annual" in effect.

I've never seen a program like that, but it could exist.

Where can I get a copy of the factory inspection program? I'd love to read it and see just how onerous or not it is.

Mike C.

Is that 2 legs or 3 legs?

If I said "I fly to the west coast with 1 stop", it means 2 legs, so I am guessing this is 3 legs.

What were the intermediate stops? Did you do it all in one day?

Mike C.

To my knowledge, the only way to achieve that is being on an engine program, like the one offered by propulsioninternational.com.

This means sending in money for every hour, also meeting minimum usage per year.

So it isn't clear this is actually saving you money over doing you own overhauls at 5000 hours. At some point, the airplane or engine gets retired, and the spent money is lost, for example. Also, it appears the engine programs tend to be seemingly economical at first, but then they raise prices as you stay i the program over the years. There's no incentive for them to be cheap at that point, they got you. If you exit the program, lost money.

I never understood why the parts in the engine knew they could last so much longer if I signed a document than if I didn't. Amazing. What it does tell me is that the engines are really 7000 TBO naturally and the rules have been twisted to extract more money from owners.


Are you saying the shortest inspection intervals in the program are 1 year and 500 hours? There's no 100 hour items? 200 hour items? Etc?

Mike C.

Is that 2 legs or 3 legs?

If I said "I fly to the west coast with 1 stop", it means 2 legs, so I am guessing this is 3 legs.

What were the intermediate stops? Did you do it all in one day?

Mike C.

What useful load do you have when full of fuel?

Wondering if you use the range your airplane has, say the ~1900 nm leg from SPQT to KFLL, can you take anybody and their stuff with you?

Lots of range becomes somewhat useless if it ends up being a 1 or 2 person airplane.

Mike C.

700 lbs IIRC, just enough for my wife and children.

To my knowledge, the only way to achieve that is being on an engine program, like the one offered by propulsioninternational.com.

This means sending in money for every hour, also meeting minimum usage per year.

So it isn't clear this is actually saving you money over doing you own overhauls at 5000 hours. At some point, the airplane or engine gets retired, and the spent money is lost, for example. Also, it appears the engine programs tend to be seemingly economical at first, but then they raise prices as you stay i the program over the years. There's no incentive for them to be cheap at that point, they got you. If you exit the program, lost money.

I never understood why the parts in the engine knew they could last so much longer if I signed a document than if I didn't. Amazing. What it does tell me is that the engines are really 7000 TBO naturally and the rules have been twisted to extract more money from owners.


Are you saying the shortest inspection intervals in the program are 1 year and 500 hours? There's no 100 hour items? 200 hour items? Etc?

Mike C.

Provide details on this program, please.

There appears to be a significant lack of awareness of this program amongst those I know.

Mike C.

What I am saying is that with my normal usage (about 100 hrs per year)
I will be able to have all my maintenance done during the annual.

Provide details on this program, please.

There appears to be a significant lack of awareness of this program amongst those I know.

Mike C.

I'm sorry, that is not an "annual" inspection, that is a phase inspection where you fly little enough to have to do parts of it once a year.

Mike C.

Yes, but you have to meet the usage requirements to have that, owner flown doesn't qualify in the vast majority of cases. I think it is like 40 hours/month?


Until you fail to meet the commercial usage minimum, or fail to put it on a program.

How the engine knows, I don't know.

Mike C.

I have chosen to do the periodic inspection because it works out that it all gets done at the annual.

A different inspection than a phase.

Yes, but you have to meet the usage requirements to have that, owner flown doesn't qualify in the vast majority of cases. I think it is like 40 hours/month?


Until you fail to meet the commercial usage minimum, or fail to put it on a program.

How the engine knows, I don't know.

Mike C.