End Of Lease Inspection – Chateau Roux
I was asked to conduct an end-of-lease inspection in Chateau Roux by Aerotech and coordinate the completion of the maintenance input before it flew to Mobile, Alabama.
I flew to Toulouse, collected a hire car, and drove North to Chateau Roux. I checked into my hotel and the following morning I drove to the maintenance facility.
When I arrived, I parked up and called the owners of the aircraft to find out the name of the maintenance company I’d be dealing with.
They had no idea who it was. We were off to a terrific start!
Picture me sitting in a car park in the middle of nowhere in central France, staring at several maintenance facilities and hundreds of aircraft sitting empty on the tarmac and no one seemed to be able to tell me where the aircraft I had come to inspect was.
I then tried the project manager from the list of contacts I was given, they denied any knowledge of the end-of-lease inspection and the aircraft itself and suggested I called another member of the operation! I did, no answer. At this point, I decided to start from the beginning again. I called up the bank and explained the situation and that I needed assistance. They simply told me to try guy number 1, ‘I have.’ I explained.
‘Try guy number 2, then.’ They shot back.
‘I have.’ I repeated, ‘He’s not answering my calls.’
… ‘We’ll get back to you.’ They tell me before hanging up.
This process has taken two hours. It’s now 11 am in the morning. I finally get a call back from the owners at 3pm.
The company’s name is DALE AVIATION, which is based in Haywards Heath, in the UK!
I was given a number and told to call a gentleman from Dale who is currently on site in Chateau Roux. But they added I should wait till after 4 pm. As he is a very busy man!
I hung up and took a deep breath as I brought up Google Maps. I had a name now at least! Tracking down the location of the Dale Aviation maintenance facility in Chateau Roux, I drove to it just so I could see it with my own eyes, I needed to know it existed.
It did and as I watched the heat haze waft off the hot tarmac, I decided to call it a day. I invoiced the company for my time spent in the car park and went back to my hotel.
That evening I spoke to Busy Man, after 4 pm as requested, and he gave me instructions on how to get to the facility and where to go to gain access.
The next day I set off for Dale Aviation. Their facility is not visible from the main road as it sits behind several hangers and maintenance buildings. Some of these buildings date back to the 2nd World War and you could still see where some of them had been raked by gunfire. At first, I thought this might be a disgruntled customer or a lost pilgrim like myself, but upon closer inspection, you could see how old they were. I eventually found a building marked Dale Aviation but as I approached, I saw a small sign telling me to go 200m further down. I did as I was instructed and finally came across a door marked Dale Aviation – Goods Only. I called the Busy Man, this time before 4 pm, and told him where I was.
‘Why are you at that door?’ He asked.
‘I’m following your signs.’ I replied.
There was a long pause. ‘I’ll send someone to get you.’
A few moments later the door opened like the gates of heaven, and I was finally granted access.
The hangar was like a scrapyard. Equipment and spares were stacked everywhere, and we wound our way through the rabbit warren till we got to an office. There they explained to me that they would call the maintenance manager and get me access to the aircraft I was here to see.
The maintenance manager arrived an hour and a half later.
As we walked to the aircraft, he turned to me and asked “So, why are you here?’
‘I’m here to carry out and end of lease inspection for the owner of the aircraft as it is being returned from its current operator.’
He gave me a nod, then added, ‘It would have been nice if they had told us!’
I looked at him for a moment before responding ‘I completely agree with you!’ I said with a smile, ‘as I have just wasted a day and a half, getting to this point!’
We reached the aircraft, and I asked the maintenance manager if he could arrange to open the landing gear and cargo doors, the engine cowls, and the avionics bay so I could access them all. This is now day 2. I finally begin my end-of-lease inspection at 11 am! I started with the cabin interior and flight deck which have been semi-converted from a passenger to a cargo operation, by removing the seats and installing cargo nets. The reason for it going to Mobile, Alabama was to be fully converted into a freight aircraft.
I spend the next 3 days doing my inspections and reporting my findings to Dale Aviation for them to carry out the necessary maintenance. Which they do.
In addition to my findings, there were also several defects on the aircraft that had been reported. I also was informed that a borescope of the engines and APU was necessary and that the owner of the aircraft would be arranging it. This information turned out to be incorrect. It was the operator who must arrange it. After many phone calls, I get the details of when the borescope is going to happen and the names of the people coming to do it. I passed this information on to Dale Aviation, and they reply that this company are not on their quality assured database. I politely informed them to directly contact this company and strongly suggest that they rectify this. This takes another 2 days.
The team arrive at Chateau Roux on Friday. Prior to their inspection, I requested that Dale open all the engine cowls open and remove all the borescope access plugs.
Saturday morning, they begin, and I monitor the scoping of the engines. They complete the number 1 engine by midday and start the number 2 engine in the afternoon. Number 2 engine is complete by Sunday morning and in the afternoon, they start on the APU and all work is completed by Sunday 3 pm.
The team leave and I tell Dale that they can re-insert the borescope access plugs. What Dale aviation doesn’t tell me is that they break one of the plugs during this process!
On Monday afternoon I check in on them and they confess to the breakage, but they have ordered a new one from Paris. They tell me not to worry about it and that the aircraft will be ready for the departure date on time.
They also tell the operator and based on this information, the operator organises for the flight crew that is flying the plane to Alabama, to come to Chateau Roux.
The next day, Dale informs me that the part has not arrived from Paris. But they are confident it will and tell the operator that the aircraft will still be ready for departure that day at 10 am.
It doesn’t arrive till 1 pm and by 3 pm the aircraft is finally ready for departure.
Unfortunately, the flight crew had arrived the previous night in anticipation of the aircraft being ready, and because the aircraft didn’t depart at the scheduled time, it meant that they were now “out of hours.”
So, the aircraft finally leaves at 11 am the following day. As did I!
As I drove the 3 hours back to Toulouse, I prayed that my flight home had nothing to do with any of the companies I had just endured for the past 12 days.
I’m delighted to say it didn’t and I got home that night, on time and as scheduled!
