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  • Re: 582 Maintenance Schedule: Which One?

    by » 13 years ago


    Hi Erin,

    By skipping maint schedules that Rotax has more years and experience than any mechanic you may cause yourself expensive repairs by trying to skip on what is recommended. I would personally stick to the recommended schedule. You having nothing to lose by sticking to the proper schedule and everything to lose if it isn't maintained.

    Roger Lee
    LSRM-A & Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC
    Tucson, AZ Ryan Airfield (KRYN)
    520-349-7056 Cell


  • Re: 582 Maintenance Schedule: Which One?

    by » 13 years ago


    I never said that I was going to use the alternative schedule. That is why I posted this question - to determine the legitimacy of that schedule. And that is why I finally researched the source of the schedule myself. Personally, I will choose to stick with the official schedule now that I know that Rotax HQ did not authorize the alternative schedule. But it was authored by a national Rotax distributor and authorized by a governmental flight authority, so your characterization of it as simply taking someone else's word and being a test subject is a little misleading if someone else decides to base their own maintenance schedule on it. South Africa has a very large and very active light aircraft community, whose experiences are worth considering. Bottom line is that if I were living in South Africa (or probably any neighboring countries), I would be using the alternative schedule. And I do believe that air, fuel, and gravity are the same here as there. Both schedules are worth considering if safety is your aim. Cracking open a well-running engine in order to do scheduled maintenance carries its own risks. Personally, I will stick with the corporate schedule, but I can understand why others might not, especially if they were flying under 103.

  • Re: 582 Maintenance Schedule: Which One?

    by » 13 years ago


    Hi All,

    You are all correct. It is all a matter of cost verses risk. For years the South African Rotax owners have been lobbying to get the South African CAA to relax the maintenance schedule requirements for 2-stroke Rotax aircraft engines / gearboxes. Their arguments were that the requirements from the manufacture were not truly suited to South African conditions and that the experience of our Rotax owners, Rotax aircraft mechanics, flight schools, approved persons and the local Rotax agency indicated that an alternative schedule could be acceptable. In 2008 such an alternative schedule was drafted and accepted by our CAA. Microlighting in South Africa falls under Light Sport Aviation and is governed by the Recreational Aircraft Association of South Africa which falls under the CAA. As part of the annual Authority to Fly all our Microlights must also comply to the approved engine maintenance schedule. The approved alternative schedule is now acceptable for the ATF, which considerably reduces the cost of flying a Microlight. It will always remain the responsibility of the owner/pilot in command to ensure that his aircraft is serviceable and therefore if he is not comfortable with the alternative schedule he is welcome to follow the original Rotax schedule. I follow the original Rotax schedule with the exception of the TBO time of 300 hours.

    Cheers Paul.

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