Saturday, October 30, 2010

N181CS, DHC-6 Twin Otter

The other day I got a message from a buddy of mine that I used to work with at Fayard Enterprises.  One of the airplanes I used to work on was going to be in Nairobi for a few weeks, and he was going to be there along with it.  I was in the hangar Friday afternoon working with one of the guys and turned around and there was my buddy!  It was good to see him; we chatted for about an hour or so, getting caught up on things.  After a while, the airplane came and he was busy with it, so we parted ways for the time.  They are staying in a hangar 3 hangars down from AIM Air!  Enjoy the pictures below that I took when it taxied by the AIM Air hangar.  The airplane and crew are with Rampart Aviation, and they are doing geophysical survey all over the world for a company called Arkex.  Notice the survey equipment on the nose and wingtips of the airplane.  It was good to see the airplane again.  Funny enough, Fayard had acquired the airplane years ago from Air Kenya, where it was registered 5Y-BEK.  We flew it for skydiving for months with Air Kenya written down the side.  Now it's back in Nairobi just down the ramp from Air Kenya.  Funny how things work.  




Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The guys in the shop...

 ...are what make it all possible here at AIM Air.  Here's some pictures that I've taken recently. 

 Caleb, working on N342EA.  I thought this was a neat picture.   
 Afternoon chai time finds the whole crew outside for a break.  Notice the new paint on the hangar doors (its about halfway done in this picture). 
Just relaxing with a cup of chai...James, Timothy, and Joseph.   
 Yours truly working on N213EA. 
 Group of the guys getting some on the job training from Jose, who is hiding from the camera.
 Best pals...David and Timothy. 
 What would we do without line maintenance personnel?  Musyoki is a wonderful example of the servant leader. 
And of course, what to do without security?  Edward (standing) is our hangar guard, watching the hangar and the aircraft during the day while we're busy with our work. 
This is Aaron, our new AA short termer. 
Hey, you gotta eat, right?!  This is Nyambs, the guy who brings us our lunch.  :) 
And of course...the hangar. 

Friday, October 15, 2010

You know you live in Africa when...

...there's a monkey in your hangar.  Ha.  Yep.  You know, a lot of hangars in the US have problems with birds coming in and making nests and pooping on the airplanes and whatnot.  We really haven't had that problem, at least as long as I've been here.  Well, today is a first for me, having a monkey in the hangar.  He was actually first spotted by the offices and actually went THROUGH my office.  Good thing I wasn't actually in there at the moment.  I probably would've screamed like a girl.  Anyways, enjoy the pics below.  Hope he finds his way out. 






Monday, October 11, 2010

Strange Visitor, PK-MPV, MAF Cessna TU206G

This past Friday, we had a strange visitor here at AIM Air.  This MAF Cessna 206, registration PK-MPV was doing a ferry flight from Indonesia to Lesotho and stopped to have some avionics work done.  I remember that a couple of my friends are with MAF in Indonesia, and sure enough!  Pieter van Dijk has flown this airplane a little bit.  It was amazing to see how the Lord brings us reminders to keep our friends in our prayers.  This airplane is serial U20605864, it's a turbo 206. 

 Some interesting things about the MAF 206s.  They modify the cargo pod door to open toward the front, not down, like normal.  It also has an interesting tail skid, very beefed up. 
 This 206 also has the second crew door, which is a mod done by Wipaire.  It's a really neat safety feature.  Notice also the turbo's exhaust stack coming out of the nose cowling up in front of the cowl flap.
 Hanging out with the DC-3. 
Here's the airplane in Sentani, Indonesia, where it was previously based with MAF.
Here's my friend Pieter with the airplane, weighing in his rooster (dinner) for the flight home. 

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

N213EA gets a JPI 930...

This past week we've been working on N213EA (ex-N4790U).  It's getting an annual inspection, but more exciting is that it's getting the JPI EDM-930 engine monitor.  It's been a little bit of a challenge as always trying to route wires nicely and also make everything very user/maintenance friendly.  Please enjoy the pictures below of the progress.  We're not done with it, so expect some more pictures in the future of the finished panel.  Thanks!  

 Here's the old Cessna instruments.  They will all be removed and replaced with the EDM-930. 
 To make the panel look cleaner and match better with the current panel, we fabricate a new panel and install it over top of the original Cessna sub-panel.  This is the dimensions of the EDM-930 so we can locate it on the new panel.  As you can see, I'm not the best artist. :)
 The old panel, gauges removed, and dimensions for cutting out where the 930 will fit. 
 All the parts and pieces of the JPI EDM-930 installation kit. 
 David Marwa, our avionics technician.  I don't think he agreed with something I said.
 So the panel has been trimmed and wires have been routed. 
 The two magnetos on the engine, complete with the new RPM sensor installed in the left one (lower one in the picture). 
 Fitting the new panel, complete with the instrument installed. 
 The RAD (remote alarm display) located at the top of the pilot instrument panel between the attitude gyro and the altimeter. 
 Marwa doing some soldering. 
 Notice the new oil pressure and fuel pressure transducers mounted to the firewall. 
 The fuel flow transducer, located above cylinder 5.  All the fuel hoses and the transducer itself all have to be wrapped in fireproof sleeve.  The routing of the fuel line used to go over top of the throttle body, but now (to accomodate the fuel flow transducer), we had to make it pass above cylinder 5, under the air filter (the thing in the plastic bag) and then back up above cylinder 6 and to the flow divider. 
 EGT and CHT probes. 
 Look how neat the wiring is now.  Kudos to Marwa and Chandra for the way they keep the wiring so clean.
 Ready to be plugged in...
 The new panel has been powder coated gray to match the rest of the panel, so I'm installing it for the last time.
 Marwa finishing some wiring for the fuel quantity senders. 
 It's on!!  Plugged in and lookin' good. 
 ...and the RAD is working too.  Lookin' good.  Now to do some fuel quantity calibrations tomorrow. 
 This is Joshua Chandra, a short termer from India.  He's helping out in the avionics shop and has been a great help, while learning a lot so far. 
The shop at the end of the day.  N213EA is in the back of the hangar, with 5Y-BLG on the left.  N342EA is in the fore ground, having come over from Entebbe on Saturday for some work, and then N341EA is there on the right, with the blue blanket over the engine.