New owner - how do you monitor maint. schedules?

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LouisianaLady

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LouisianaLady
I'm looking for a straightforward approach to making maintenance (annuals, oil changes, etc) easy for me to see when they are due. Does anyone have a spreadsheet that they would like to share?

Also, what do you put on your gps for reminders?

These questions might seem very elementary, but I have to start somewhere lol. I just want something easy I can reconcile with the logs to get a system started that is easy for me to look at.

Thanks!
 
While it's not a spreadsheet what I use is a whiteboard on my hangar wall. Tail number and required maint/inspections completed and next due. It works for me.
 
I have a little moleskin notebook which lives in the glove box where I write it all down in, dates/tach it was done, dates/tach due,

Annual
100hr
Oil change
BS FAA re registration
Insurance expire date
406 registration
Pitot static/xpdr
Garmin updates
VOR checks
Any ADs
Etc.

I also put items that require a little planning with other parties, like annuals, into google calendar with reminders for a few weeks out.

Works great, part of my preflight is checking the little journal against the date on my watch and the time on the tach.
 
I use a spreadsheet, but it's nothing special, just a lot of miscellaneous dates and events on it. I do split it up into three tabs, one for general stuff, second for ADs and third for parts/maintenance.

As for GPS, I have a GTN-650 and own a pilot pack. Long as I remember to login every month I'll get a notification telling me which databases are out of date on it.

Depending on your GPS it should also have that info on startup so you know when to expect an update (assuming you watch it when it's going through that stuff).
 
Get on even 50's for oil changes. Fix anything that breaks between annuals ASAP (some things can wait, but not much in my book). The rest is taken care of at annual.
 
Soldier64 said:
While it's not a spreadsheet what I use is a whiteboard on my hangar wall. Tail number and required maint/inspections completed and next due. It works for me.
Click to expand...

That's a spread sheet, just an old school by armstrong version. :D
 
I usually remember when annuals are due, so that's no big deal. I tend to make the transponder check due at the same time as annual, and will probably do so with the pitot static check (which still needs to be done on the Lucky Strike). I have fallen down on oil changes, admittedly, but doing those on some sort of schedule is silly. I just keep track of when they were done in the fuel logs and try and make certain they're done every 30 hours.
 
Notepad in plane that after each flight gets hours written down, date, time, and oil due count down. Then that is monthly taken home to update log and back in plane.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I give a guy money ...

... then I complain about it ...
 
Depends on your aircraft, how often you fly it, if you're IFR or not, and if you are the sole owner of an aircraft not used for rental or commercial purposes.

I'm VFR flying a Cherokee Archer probably at most 100hrs/year. I don't have a lot to remember so I don't really have much of a system. Annual is in Dec... easy enough to remember. They note the next Pitot-Static check and ELT battery due dates for me when it gets done. I periodically look at my hours and see if I need an oil change- I do one about midway through the year and another at the annual. If I have problems with the airplane, I get them fixed when they happen.
 
new owner..........askin' kweshyuns...........no pics of plane...........


what gives? :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:
 
She's getting a new look right now from aircraft impressions ... I'll post one soon
 
As stated above a white board in the hangar.
There's 3 columns on it.
Item/hour due/date due

Keeps us partners informed.

The flight school I did my initial training had the same thing except it qas in the flight school building.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 
As stated, the whiteboard technique is one I have seen ALOT. Simple, and it works, plus you see it everytime you go to and from the airplane.
 
I just use a post-it in the logbook to write down next inspection due, oil change, xpdr, static checks etc. I remember the general time frame but can always easily check.
 
I've waited a couple day to post on this thread, simply because I'm having a difficult time knowing how a person that can't remember their aircraft annual date, is capable of remembering how to fly.
 
Tom-D said:
I've waited a couple day to post on this thread, simply because I'm having a difficult time knowing how a person that can't remember their aircraft annual date, is capable of remembering how to fly.
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My memory isn't what it used to be. So I can understand how it could be not so easy to remember the exact date for all the maintenance items.
Like I said, mybrain usually retains the general time-of-year, even month but I check my logbook when the time draws near.

Also, for all we know, the OP might be talking about multiple aircraft. If it is more than 1, I know I will NOT be relying on my memory only. :)

The whiteboard in the hangar is a great idea, btw.
 
Tom-D said:
I've waited a couple day to post on this thread, simply because I'm having a difficult time knowing how a person that can't remember their aircraft annual date, is capable of remembering how to fly.
Click to expand...

The annual date is easy. What I find interesting is that a quick scan of the thread has only two posters mentioning keeping track of when ADs are due.

How many people track ADs? Or do most people just assume that their airplane only needs to see the inside of a shop once a year?
 
Tom-D said:
I've waited a couple day to post on this thread, simply because I'm having a difficult time knowing how a person that can't remember their aircraft annual date, is capable of remembering how to fly.
Click to expand...

:nono:

C'mon Tom! Be nice...
 
Tom-D said:
I've waited a couple day to post on this thread, simply because I'm having a difficult time knowing how a person that can't remember their aircraft annual date, is capable of remembering how to fly.
Click to expand...

:lol: You sound like the guy nobody wants to sit next to at a dinner party. Lighten up - you were green once, too. I've never kept an airplane log before - so what? I'm excited to learn how to take good care of my new baby, so I asked what others do. Thanks for the buzz kill.

This is a picture of her pretty much naked before Aircraft Impressions worked their magic on her with a new design and N number. When she's done, I'll post the final product.

photo12.jpg
 
LouisianaLady said:
:lol: You sound like the guy nobody wants to sit next to at a dinner party. Lighten up - you were green once, too. I've never kept an airplane log before - so what? I'm excited to learn how to take good care of my new baby, so I asked what others do. Thanks for the buzz kill.

This is a picture of her pretty much naked before Aircraft Impressions worked their magic on her with a new design and N number. When she's done, I'll post the final product.

photo12.jpg
Click to expand...

It's a ghost!
 
mondtster said:
The annual date is easy. What I find interesting is that a quick scan of the thread has only two posters mentioning keeping track of when ADs are due.

How many people track ADs? Or do most people just assume that their airplane only needs to see the inside of a shop once a year?
Click to expand...
Ours list ongoing ad's on the whiteboard. Usually it coincides when it's time for an annual, but if it doesn't it is written for us partners to see.
 
Cool to have a blank canvas like that!

Where are you based?
 
Tom-D said:
I've waited a couple day to post on this thread, simply because I'm having a difficult time knowing how a person that can't remember their aircraft annual date, is capable of remembering how to fly.
Click to expand...

Maybe she has a lot of other dates to remember too. Family members birthdays, insurance renewal dates, car registration dates, 6 month dental cleanings, AOPA membership renewal dates.

I get 12 phone calls asking what to get little Johnny for his birthday, I get emails and mailers for insurance, car registration, and dental appointments, I get 1,200 AOPA membership renewal mailers that my expiration date is ingrained in my brain. What do airplane owners get? No notice that their annual is coming due.

Dental cleaning can go a few months, or not done at all if you are nasty.
AOPA can not be renewed(and wont in my case)
Insurance and car renewals can be done in 5 minutes online.
Birthday gifts can be bought and mailed in 5 minutes thanks to Amazon and a Happy Birthday phone call.
Annuals can take some time to schedule and a week or more to be done.

Keeping good track of it sounds like a good idea to me...
 
mondtster said:
The annual date is easy. What I find interesting is that a quick scan of the thread has only two posters mentioning keeping track of when ADs are due.

How many people track ADs? Or do most people just assume that their airplane only needs to see the inside of a shop once a year?
Click to expand...


Depends on the ADs.

We don't have any, other than the oil spin on adapter inspection (every oil change), that happen with any greater regularity than at annual inspection.

No need to assume anything. It's written right in the applicable ADs.

If someone has ADs that happen on an hour's or date basis, they probably need to track them somehow.

I've found just setting a recurring reminder in my phone and a list of dates in the notes application, works fine as a backup for my brain for all sorts of stuff. Airplane stuff, life stuff, whatever.

Even giving the dogs their meds once a month or getting them vaccinated. Just pop it in the phone as you leave the vet's office.

Not quite sure what's so hard about this? Was keeping things on a paper wall calendar for a decade or so, before it moved to my phone. The electronic version is way more convenient.
 
LouisianaLady said:
photo12.jpg
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Well look at that, that is an expensive aircraft, to be able to afford that you must be smart enough to simply have your maintenance record to the Mechanic and allow them to make their entries.

Read FAR 43- and 91.400 and follow the directions written there.

I've been keeping maintenance records for a very long time, and it only requires one of my two brain cells to do it.
 
Tom-D said:
Well look at that, that is an expensive aircraft, to be able to afford that you must be smart enough to simply have your maintenance record to the Mechanic and allow them to make their entries.

Read FAR 43- and 91.400 and follow the directions written there.

I've been keeping maintenance records for a very long time, and it only requires one of my two brain cells to do it.
Click to expand...


Outsourcing is one thing, but you're still responsible for verifying the APs are doing their jobs.

Just a simple moleskin

image.jpg


Or if you want to get fancy make some excel sheets up.
 
James331 said:
Outsourcing is one thing, but you're still responsible for verifying the APs are doing their jobs.
Click to expand...


and that's not too difficult.

I simply read my logs. there is a place to record inspections.

When an AD is signed off properly, the recurring ones will have a date next due.
 
LouisianaLady said:
I'm looking for a straightforward approach to making maintenance (annuals, oil changes, etc) easy for me to see when they are due.
Click to expand...


For oil changes, I write it on a plastic sticker that I afix to the windshield. Just like car repair shops do, after an oil change. I get the blank sticker in the Blackstone oil sample kit.
 
Come on. Lighten up on some of the previous posts.

As I stated before, we use the ASA flight log. If you open it up, on the left you enter the flight information. On the right page there are date fields for annuals, VOR test dates, ELT dates,oil change hours, 100 hours etc. We effectively have a co-ownership (LLC) situation where we need to track time and the maintenance reminders are a bonus.

If you are a sole owner, an Excel worksheet would probably suffice. There have been valuable information listed in some preceding posts. I am a new owner so I may have missed some items. Some information you will need IF the aircraft is not rented out/on lease back for rentals are:

Annual (date)
Oil change (tach/hobbs hour due)
VOR check (date)
ELT battery(date/usage)
Insurance expiration (date)
Pitot static system (date)
Transponder (date)
GPS database update (date)
MFD database (date)
A/D compliance dates
Cirrus - chute repack date (10 year life on rocket motor)
Cirrus CAPS - Reefing line cutters replace every 6 years
Cirrus - inflatable restraint belts (replace every 10 years)
Cirrus - inflatable restraint electronic modules (refurbish every 7 years, replace every 14 years I believe)
Cirrus SR22 - Magneto 500 hour inspection
Perhaps track TBO time on engine (do oil analysis trending)

You may want to also track recommended SB items

If a rental, then you also need to track 100 hour inspections.

Like I said, I'm a new SR22 owner so I may (probably have) have missed items as I am in no ways an expert. Hope this helps.

From one new owner to another - Congrats!
 
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Seems like a few here are making this a lot more difficult than it needs to be.

Annual date is a month, you don't have to remember it was signed off at 1133 on a 12th of June. The annual date is "JUNE". It goes out of annual, the first minute of JULY.
 
asgcpa said:
Come on. Lighten up on some of the previous posts.

As I stated before, we use the ASA flight log. If you open it up, on the left you enter the flight information. On the right page there are date fields for annuals, VOR test dates, ELT dates,oil change hours, 100 hours etc. We effectively have a co-ownership (LLC) situation where we need to track time and the maintenance reminders are a bonus.

If you are a sole owner, an Excel worksheet would probably suffice. There have been valuable information listed in some preceding posts. I am a new owner so I may have missed some items. Some information you will need IF the aircraft is not rented out/on lease back for rentals are:

Annual (date)
Oil change (tach/hobbs hour due)
VOR check (date)
ELT battery(date/usage)
Insurance expiration (date)
Pitot static system (date)
Transponder (date)
GPS database update (date)
MFD database (date)
A/D compliance dates
Cirrus - chute repack date (10 year life on rocket motor)
Cirrus CAPS - Reefing line cutters replace every 6 years
Cirrus - inflatable restraint belts (replace every 10 years)
Cirrus - inflatable restraint electronic modules (refurbish every 7 years, replace every 14 years I believe)
Cirrus SR22 - Magneto 500 hour inspection
Perhaps track TBO time on engine (do oil analysis trending)

You may want to also track recommended SB items

If a rental, then you also need to track 100 hour inspections.

Like I said, I'm a new SR22 owner so I may (probably have) have missed items as I am in no ways an expert. Hope this helps.

From one new owner to another - Congrats!
Click to expand...

Your A&P should care for 99% of that.
But when they only see the aircraft once a year. ???
 
Tom-D said:
Your A&P should care for 99% of that.
But when they only see the aircraft once a year. ???
Click to expand...

True, but as a CPA I want to know what is coming up and when so I can adequately budget for KNOWN items. It's the unknown that will probably depress you when they come up.....:mad2:
 
asgcpa said:
True, but as a CPA I want to know what is coming up and when so I can adequately budget for KNOWN items. It's the unknown that will probably depress you when they come up.....:mad2:
Click to expand...

99% of the readers here can't separate the maintenance from the inspection, they all believe the whole thing is an annual.
And then whine when the bill is large.
 
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