Feature
MAINTENANCE:
While they need
not be to aviation
standards, HVAC
maintenance
standards
certainly need to
be improved.
A WING AND A PRAYER
By Patrick Burke of RPM Engineering
There is no denying that local HVAC maintenance standards are not up
to scratch and need drastic improvement.
I
must confess to being an avid armchair pilot. The two local
aviation magazines are my favourite reads, fulfilling my
lifelong interest in all things avionic. Their subject matter
is always of great interest and the featured articles just as
amusing as they are informative.
The fairly recent coverage of the new St Helena Airport
was certainly a revelation in how not to approach a potentially
risky project; a tough lesson to all budding engineers, project
managers, and developers. In its own way, it brings home the
absolute necessity to investigate every project fully, taking
all possible factors into account before commencing with the
detailed design.
Imagine a developer building a 50 000m 2 retail mall on the
outskirts of Blikkiesdorp in the Great Karoo. In all likelihood, it
will fail dismally, becoming yet another white elephant. Yes, it
would certainly create a lot of work for the locals in the short
term, but it is destined to fail in the sustainability stakes.
www.hvacronline.co.za
Now both aviation magazines include among their read-
worthy articles, advertisements featuring a vast array of light
aircraft for sale, ranging from fixed wiring propeller-driven
aircraft to turbine-driven corporate jets, even gliders and
helicopters, all on sale for sizable sums of money.
I study these aircraft adverts with great interest, with the
notion, I suppose, of one day owning an aircraft — dream on,
McDuff. Nevertheless, what fascinates me the most, is the
longevity of the aircraft on sale, some as old as 65 years and
many in the 30-year to 50-year age bracket, all commanding
top dollar.
The reason for this is as plain as the nose on your face. It
is called maintenance and I mean, proper scheduled routine
mandatory service. These, dare I say it, ‘vintage’ aircraft are all
in pristine condition, capable of providing a further 20–30 years
of faithful service.
Continued on page 39
RACA Journal I January 2019
37