Roger Lee
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1464
Location: Tucson, Az.
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 Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:23 am Post subject: Rotax / Kodiak and FAA |
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Kodiak (main Rotax distributor) is making some sweeping changes that will effect a lot of maint individuals. This is driven by an FAA survey/audit around the nation and with MFG's to help come in-line more with the ASTM standards. They are trying to keep a tighter rein on maint quality control of their engines as well as an idea as to who is working on them and to insure they are qualified. So of these maint people who are not current, not taken and updated class or only have the service class may be left behind if they don't get more involved with classes, quality control and possibly tooling. Someone is trying to work and help the little guy on the tooling aspect, but has not been decided yet. I have just heard (3rd party) that Rotax has as low as 80%+ of the LSA and light plane market and as high as 92% with the USA it's top buyer. Rotax really only has two competitors and they really aren't a threat. Rotax distributors are now supposed to tell someone who calls up looking for a service person of only the Rotax QUALIFIED people and that means people that have the right type of service rating for the work to be done and someone who is up to date with schooling and with the proper tools.
Just a note as to what the different ratings from Rotax mean. By the way within the next two weeks Rotax is going to have anyone claiming to be a repair center or service facility fill out some paperwork. They want you to check off all the Rotax tools you have, sign a form of Rules/Regs. as to how you will maint and conduct business with their engine and under the Rotax name and they are even telling people they will come out and inspect some of the so called repair stations. You will have to take an update class once every two years and I think there was another paper to sign, but I can't quite remember what it was. (old age setting in )
If you have the "Service" rating you can drain the oil, do an inspection, balance the carbs type things. You are not allowed to remove any components like a fuel pump or gearbox or any thing else.
"Line" maint rated, You can now remove components off the engine that was covered in that particular Rotax class. It would cover what is in the Line Maint Manual. These items are fairly general in nature and very light maint., more inspection type items with some testing included. This is mainly for small engine components that you might find in a general maint inspection like a hose. For example. You can remove the carbs for the 200 hr. rebuild, but you can't do the work because the carb rebuild was taught in the "Heavy maint" class. You would have to send them out or find a guy that is heavy maint rated to do the carb rebuild. You could not remove the heads or rebuild the gearbox like when Rotax recalled all those gearboxes to be redone. You could not take the gearbox off and do an inspection. This was taught in the Heavy Maint class.
The "Heavy" Maint group can do everything right down to, but not including an overhaul. This person can remove all the components, do inspections of the components, remove the heads and cylinders or test components, but can not do an overhaul. He can do a gearbox inspection after a prop strike, pull the heads for a valve job, ect...
The "Overhaul" group of which there is darn few around and usually only the distributors.
It used to be that a Rotax 912ULS total overhaul (rebuilt engine) was about $8K, but I heard yesterday that it is now about 70% of the cost of a new engine. That makes it around $12.5K with a new engine in the $18K range.
This is really no difference than what the GA aircraft do now. Rotax is trying to come in and be more main stream, professional and initiate better quality control. This will not only affect individuals, but many LSA aircraft MFG's that will need new Rotax schooling for their personnel.
This will do two things. Unfortunately many people will not comply and be out of the SLSA maint and for some it will spur them onward. I think it will have a bigger negative effect at first then come back around after a while. I do hope after hearing some of the new changes that some of the distributors can change Rotax's mind on a few details so as not to put overt pressure on the Rotax maint. people. It is a new program and subject to some change I hope. We will have to wait and see how this all shakes out.
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Roger Lee
Tucson, Az.
Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC
Light Sport Repairman
Home 520-574-1080 TRY HOME FIRST
Cell 520-349-7056 |
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