Sec1: ENGINE PRESERVATION AND STORAGE

If an engine is to be stored for a time after having been run in, it should be preserved against corrosion. This is particularly
important for the interiors of cylinders, where the products of combustion will initiate corrosion of the bare cylinder walls
within a very short time.

Figure ? – Aircraft Powerplant Storage

Preservation Run-In
As previously mentioned, an engine which is to be stored should be run in with a preservation oil as the lubricant. In
addition, if possible, the last 15 min of operation should be done with clear (unleaded) gasoline at about two-thirds of full
rpm. This will tend to remove the accumulation of corrosive residues which are in the cylinders and combustion
chambers.

Interior Treatment
When the engine is stopped, the preservative oil should be drained from the crankcase or sump. Spark plugs are then
removed from the cylinders, and preservative oil is sprayed into the cylinders as the engine is rotated, several times for
each cylinder. The rotation can be accomplished with the starter. Each cylinder is then sprayed one more time without
further turning of the crankshaft.
After all cylinders have been sprayed and preservative oil has been sprayed in the crankcase through the oil filler neck or
any other crankcase opening, dehydrator plugs containing silica gel are installed in the spark plug holes and in the sump
drain. The dehydrator plugs absorb the moisture within the engine, thus reducing the tendency for the interior to corrode.

Exterior Treatment
All openings into the engine should be sealed with airtight plugs or with waterproof tape. If the carburetor is removed for
separate preservation, a dehydrator bag can be placed in the carburetor opening before it is sealed. The bag should be tied
to an exterior fitting so that it can be easily removed when the engine is prepared for operation.
After the engine is completely sealed, it may be sprayed lightly with preservative oil or other approved coating. If the
engine is to be stored for as long as 6 months, it should be sealed in a waterproof plastic bag. The bag is first placed over
the mounting bolts in the engine case, and the engine is installed in the case with the mounting bolts sticking through the
bag. The bag is sealed at the engine mounting bolts when the bolts are tightened are found.

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Corrosion-Preventive Materials
An engine in service is in a sense self-purging of moisture, since the heat of combustion evaporates the moisture in and
around the engine, and the lubricating oil circulated through the engine temporarily forms a protective coating on the
metal it contacts. If the operation of an engine in service is limited or suspended for a period of time, the engine is
preserved to a varying extent, depending upon how long it is to be inoperative. There are three types of engine storage:
active engine, temporary, and indefinite. An engine in active storage is defined as having at least one continuous hour of
operation with an oil temperature of at least 165 °F to 200 °F and storage time not to exceed 30 days. Temporary storage
describes an aircraft and engine that is not flown for 30 to 90 days, and indefinite storage is for an aircraft not to be flown
for over 90 days or is removed from the aircraft for extended time.

Figure ? - Corrosion-Prevention Procedure

The desired proportions of lubricating oil, and either heavy or light corrosion-preventive compound, must not be obtained
by adding the compound to the oil already in the engine. The mixture must be prepared separately before applying to the
engine or placing in an oil tank.

Figure ? – Aircraft Engine Storage

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Dehydrating Agents
There are a number of substances (referred to as desiccants) that can absorb moisture from the atmosphere in sufficient
quantities to be useful as dehydrators. One of these is silica gel. This gel is an ideal dehydrating agent since it does not
dissolve when saturated.

Figure ? - Dehydrator plug “pink” showing high humidity (Sacramento Sky Ranch).

As a corrosion preventive, bags of silica gel are placed around and inside various accessible parts of a stored engine. It is
also used in clear plastic plugs, called dehydrator plugs that can be screwed into engine openings such as the spark plug
holes. Cobalt chloride is added to the silica gel used in dehydrator plugs. This additive makes it possible for the plugs to
indicate the moisture content, or relative humidity, of the air surrounding the engine. The cobalt-chloride treated silica gel
remains a bright blue color with low relative humidities; as the relative humidity increases, the shade of the blue becomes
progressively lighter, becoming lavender at 30 percent relative humidity and fading through the various shades of pink,
until at 60 percent relative humidity it is a natural or white color.

Figure ? - Dehydrator plug “blue” showing low humidity (Sacramento Sky Ranch).

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Inspection after Storage
Interior inspections should be performed in all areas where it is possible to insert an inspection light. The most vulnerable
area is inside the cylinders where the bare steel of the cylinders has been exposed to the combustion of fuel. Inspection of
the cylinders is done by removing the spark plugs from the cylinders and inserting an inspection light in one of the spark
plug holes. The inside of the cylinder can then be seen by looking through the other spark plug hole. If rust is observed on
the cylinder walls, it is necessary to remove the cylinder and dispose of the rust. If the cylinder walls are badly pitted, it
will be necessary to regrind the cylinders and install oversize pistons and rings.

Installation in Aircraft
Overhauled or rebuilt engines may be crated and in "preserved" condition when they are received by the installer. Special
steps must be taken to prepare a preserved engine for installation in the aircraft.

Preparation for Installation

The engine will be bolted to the supports built into the case, and it will be necessary to remove bolts and other attachments
before the engine can be removed. The technician in charge of unpacking the engine must exercise great care to prevent
damage and the loss of small parts. First, locate all paperwork, such as overhaul records and unpacking instructions, and
then proceed according to instructions.
When fittings having pipe threads are installed, the threads of the fittings should be lightly coated with an approved thread
lubricant and the fittings should be installed with proper torque to prevent damage to the threads.
The desiccant plugs should be removed from the spark plug holes and from the oil sump. At this time the engine should be
rotated a few times to permit drainage of the preservative oil.

Figure ? – Preparation for Engine installation

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Sec 2: Aircraft Storage
Storage Procedures
The AMM/MP/AMP provides operators with detailed procedures for parking and storage. It is essential that these
procedures are followed to preserve the safety, airworthiness and value of the aircraft. Depending on the duration of the
out-of-operation period and on the need for readiness of the aircraft for return into service, several options are available
for aircraft preservation in either Parking in “flight-ready” condition or storage.

Figure ? – Aircraft Storage Procedures

Key safety operations for storage

The application of the AMM/MP/AMP parking and storage procedures ensures the preservation of the aircraft systems.
For example, using engines and APU inlet and outlet protection. There are key safety aspects that are part of the
AMM/MP/AMP procedures and must be considered when preparing an aircraft for parking or storage and during the
recurring maintenance tasks. 

Storage location
Aircraft should be ideally parked or stored on a flat surface with the nose pointing in the direction of the prevailing winds
to limit the effect of wind and gusts on the aircraft.

Landing gear safety devices

Landing gear safety devices must be put in place to prevent unwanted landing gear retraction.

Figure ? – Landing Gear Safety Devices

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Use of Chocks
The AMM/MP parking and storage procedures both recommend the use of chocks at the wheels to hold the aircraft in its
parked position. The procedure for wheel chocks installation is available in the AMM/MP 10-11-00 Parking Procedure. 

Protection against strong winds

If the aircraft is stored in an area known to be windy, or if strong wind conditions are expected, it is necessary to check
and improve aircraft’s stability (AMM/MP 05-57-00) and moor the aircraft if needed (AMM/MP procedure 10-20-00
Mooring). However, if the expected winds are above the aircraft’s stability limits, Airbus recommends to move the
aircraft to another airport when possible.

Post high-wind inspection

It is important to perform the “post high wind event” inspection (05-51-42) when the aircraft is unmoored to ensure that
the aircraft was not damaged including an assessment of the entire aircraft checking for excessive loads as well as
inspections of the flight controls and landing gear structure.

Grounding/Earthing of the aircraft

It is highly recommended to permanently ground/earth the aircraft when parked or stored to avoid damage caused by
lightning in storms. It is mandatory to ground/earth the aircraft during the periodic ground checks to ensure safety of the
maintenance personnel and avoid damage to the aircraft systems.

Figure ? – Grounding of the Aircraft

Protecting air data probes

Air Data probes need to be protected to prevent dust or insects from causing an obstruction. Approved probe covers must
be used. They can normally be found in each aircraft’s fly-away kit. 

Some precautions must be taken when using alternative means like plastic foil when the approved covers are unavailable.
These materials can damage the probes. For example, using plastic foil to cover the angle-of-attack probes can cause
water to ingress inside the probe when water accumulates inside the plastic foil if the foil is not properly sealed with the
fuselage and not equipped with drain holes. This can result in a blocked probe in flight when the aircraft returns to
service. 

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What if the approved air probe covers are not available?

If the approved probe covers are not available, the advice is not to use an improvised or unapproved cover, and it is
preferred that the probe remains uncovered when the aircraft is parked. It will then be necessary to carry out an inspection
and/or a flushing procedure on the associated pressure line before returning to service. 

Closure of the outflow valves

The parking/storage procedures request closing the outflow valves using the DITCHING pushbutton. Care should be used
during maintenance on the aircraft if pre-conditioning the cabin with the aircraft doors closed using a ground cart
connected to the low pressure port. The potential for pressure to build up in the cabin may cause the passenger cabin doors
to open violently if operated by ground personnel. The maintenance personnel must ensure that at least one passenger
door, or the forward avionics compartment access door, is open before connecting the ground cart and remains open for as
long as the cart is connected to the aircraft. 

Final words of wisdom regarding aircraft storage

Regardless of the reasons for a plane being stored, always plan ahead so that no step of the process is missed, and
overestimate the anticipated storage time period in the event the aircraft needs to sit longer. While there are
many components to proper aircraft storage, the process is easily manageable when broken down in a few
simple steps and is critical to the long-term health of an airplane engine.

Sec 3: Storage conditions for aeronautical supplies

General storage conditions
Premises should be clean, well ventilated, and maintained at an even dry temperature to minimise the effects of
condensation. In many instances the manufacturer will specify the temperature and relative humidity in which the
products should be stored. To ensure that these conditions are maintained within the specified range, instruments are
used which measure the temperature and relative humidity of the store room.
Temperature and relative humidity
When required, the temperature and humidity should be checked at regular intervals by means of a hygrometer which
measures the amount of humidity in the atmosphere. The wall-type of hygrometer is normally used and consists of wet
and dry bulbs. The dry bulb records the actual temperature, and a comparison between this reading and that registered
by the wet bulb, when read in conjunction with a table, will indicate the percentage of relative humidity present in the
atmosphere.
Protective materials for storage purposes
Vapour Phase Inhibitor (VPI)

This is a method of protection against corrosion often used for stored articles made of ferrous metals. VPI protects by its
vapour, which entirely covers any article in an enclosed space. Direct contact of the solid VPI with the metal is not
required. Although moisture and oxygen are necessary for corrosion to take place, VPI does not react with, or remove,
either of them, but operates by inhibiting their corrosive action. The method most commonly used is treated paper or
board, the article to be protected being wrapped in paper which has been treated with VPI or enclosed in a box made of,
or lined with, VPI treated board.

Protective oils, fluids, compounds

Where oils, fluids, or compounds are used as a temporary protection on metal articles it should be ascertained that the
material and the method of application is approved by the manufacturer of the article. Where protective oils, fluids, or
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compounds have been used, deterioration of such fluids or compounds by handling can be minimised by wrapping in a
non-absorbent material such as polythene or waxed paper. The life of such temporary protective is increased by inhibiting
drying out. When parts or components are stored for long periods they should be inspected at intervals to ensure that the
condition of the coating is satisfactory.

Desiccants

The desiccants most commonly used in the protection of stored parts or components are silica-gel and activated alumina.
Because of their hygroscopic nature these desiccants are capable of absorbing moisture inside a packaging container or
inside a component, thereby preventing corrosion.

Desiccants should be inspected and renewed at specified periods or when an air-tight container has been opened. It is
important when inspecting or changing a desiccant that the prescribed method is used to avoid the entry of moisture into a
dry container.

Tell-tale desiccant is an indicating type of desiccant that is prepared with a chemical which changes colour according to
its moisture content. Table 1 gives guidance on the relative humidity of the surrounding air.

Table ? – Desiccant colourings

Silica-gel and activated alumina can be reactivated by a simple heat treatment process. The time and temperature required
to effectively dry the desiccant should be verified with the manufacturer, but a general guide is—

• 135°C for at least two hours for silica-gel

• 250°C for four hours for activated alumina

The desiccant should then be placed in a sealed container until it has cooled, after which it should be completely
reactivated.

Racks and bins

Open racks allow a free circulation of air and are preferable when the nature of the stock permits their use. The painted
metal type of bins is more suitable than the wooden type, since with the latter there is a risk of corrosion due to mould or

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dampness. Polyethylene, rigid PVC, corrugated plastics, or cardboard bins may also be used. Many moulded plastics bins
can also be fitted with removable dividers which will allow for the segregation of small parts whilst making economic use
of the space.

Rotation of issue
Methods of storage should be such that batches of materials or parts are issued in strict rotation. This ensures that old
stock is issued before new stock. This is of particular importance for perishable goods, instruments, and other components
that have definite storage limiting periods.

Storage limiting period

The manufacturers of certain aircraft components impose storage limiting periods after which time they will not
guarantee the efficient functioning of the equipment. On expiry of the recommended storage periods the components
should be withdrawn from stores for checking or overhaul as recommended by the manufacturer. The effective storage
limiting periods of some equipment may be considerably reduced if suitable conditions of storage are not provided. The
storage limiting periods quoted by manufacturers are only acceptable if the prescribed conditions of storage are in
operation.

Flammable materials
All materials of a flammable nature should be kept in a store isolated from the main buildings. The precautions to be taken
vary with the quantity and volatility of the materials, and such stores should comply with the requirements of all New
Zealand regulations, including those requirements of nonaviation authorities such as the Department of Labour and the
Environmental Risk Management Authority.

Sec 4: Differences between MRB & MPD

What are the differences between the Maintenance Review Board (MRB) and Maintenance Planning Document
(MPD) and which one should be used as a basis for an operator's maintenance program?

ANSWER: When a new aircraft is being designed and produced, the aviation authority, the manufacturer, and selected
industry participants form groups called maintenance steering groups (MSG) and industry steering committees (ISC).

These groups, through numerous meetings determine the frequency and scope of aircraft inspections to be performed.
This information is provided to another group called the maintenance review board (MRB). The MRB will issue their
final recommendations to the manufacturer on how an aircraft should be maintained.

The manufacturer then publishes this information in maintenance planning documents (MPD) to be provided to the
customer.

For small private aircraft the aircraft owner usually follows the inspections and maintenance practices published by the
manufacturer.

For airline or commercial operators, the recommendations of the MRB and subsequent MPD are used to develop a
Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP), which is then approved by the FAA.

Sec 5: Need for Effective Store Accounting

Accounting has been identified as one of the most important activities carried out in any organization. This is because
materials is the life blood of an industry. Materials constitute money and have been bought to meet certain needs, in order
to ensure that these materials meet the needs for which they were bought and to avoid unnecessary cash loss arising from

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losing of materials due to ineffective accounting which therefore, affect the profit margin of the organization with this
development every organization has realized the need to invest in accounting. This is so for any profit oriented
organization.

Sec 6: Scrap Management

Scrap may not be a hot commodity right now, but it is a hot topic. The scrap-processing market has changed dramatically,
with many vendors going out of business. Scrap prices have declined significantly, and those scrap vendors that remain
are trying to renegotiate contracts to achieve more acceptable terms.

This year is likely to be a continuation of tough times for scrap companies. The market may improve when global demand
for metal increases, but the chance that scrap prices will hit 2008 levels anytime soon is unlikely.

The time is ripe for you to have internal discussions about your scrap management. Scrap vendors are in a position where
they have to be responsive. A loss of any sizable customer is a blow to surviving these tough financial times.

Figure ? – Scrap metal

It’s always good to assign a point person to oversee this effort. Having one employee who is vested in scrap management
and is keeping an eye on the process can help boost the revenue stream.
One person can be responsible for scrap management, but it is going to take a team to control the process. In many
instances, this is going to fall in the laps of employees in shipping or logistics. The simple reason is that shipping
personnel are right there when the scrap driver comes to pick up the material. The driver probably fills out the appropriate
paperwork in the shipping office. The goal is to get that paperwork to the accounts receivable manager in the front office.
How the paperwork gets there will help to define who is part of the team.
Not all scrap is equal. Punched holes from hot-rolled steel with
good chemistry usually goes to a foundry. Heavier scrap, such as a
plate or structural steel, is a different grade and usually goes to a
larger mill for melting.

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If possible, segregate the different types of metal. That’s less handling that a scrap vendor has to worry about and
ultimately charge for. If the scrap is of a smaller size, say 3 to 5 feet or less, a mill can accept it without much worry.
Do not treat the scrap hopper like a trash hopper. An employee might throw his fast-food bag in the hopper after lunch. A
maintenance technician might throw a paint can in the scrap bin. Mixing trash and scrap reduces its overall value because
the scrap handler must segregate the material when it gets back to the yard and charge you accordingly.
Investigate your equipment requirements prior to negotiating a contract with a scrap company. While multiple bins may
be desired to help segregate the waste, the scrap vendor may not be of the same mindset. The scrap dealer wants to
provide boxes that turn over regularly, and may not want to have a bin sit there for six months before it is full enough to
be picked up. Include these requirements during negotiations.

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