This article addresses the maintenance of Club gliders and associated equipment such as batteries, battery chargers, tow-out gear, tractors, etc. Maintenance of tug aircraft is a different subject, and relevant processes are known to our Tug Pilots, our Tug Master and our Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME).

Despite our best efforts, equipment can fail or develop faults at any time. In all cases, it is up to you to either effect repairs (in the case of ground equipment) or report that fault via a Maintenance Request so that repairs can be made. If you do not, there is a good chance that that fault will still be there when the equipment is next required.

Faults are sometimes detected on gliders during daily inspections. In this case, the Inspector will make an entry in the Maintenance Release for that aircraft (and possibly ground it if the defect is serious). Doing so highlights the fault to the next Inspector but does not initiate repairs; it still is up to you to report that defect to our Workshop via a Maintenance Request in order to advise them that a repair is required. (Workshop staff do not regularly inspect glider Maintenance Releases - they service aircraft according to a regular schedule, and it might be many months before a Maintenance Release is checked.)

Lodging a Maintenance Request is a simple process. Maintenance Request forms are kept in the foyer outside our Benalla office; they are printed on green paper and are therefore sometimes known as "Green Slips". Fill out the Maintenance Request at the completion of the day, and lodge it with the office - don't forget to include your name for possible follow-up.

Now, in the case of defects on gliders (only), our Workshop Manager requests that you back up written Maintenance Requests with an Email to gcvworkshop@benalla.net.au. This extra step will assist in speedy resolution of any problems.

Workshop staff are aware of faults immediately. Workshop staff are often present on just Thursdays and Fridays, and your written Maintenance Request might not be seen until four or five days after you lodge it. Email notification allows immediate consideration of how to proceed.

Email provides a convenient mechanism for requesting additional information and for advising progress on resolving defects. Given that you took the trouble to report a fault, our staff would like to be able to provide you with feedback.

So there you have it. The principle is clear:

if you detect a fault that requires repair (which you cannot action yourself), lodge a Maintenance Request. It is your responsibility, and not doing so could deny the next Club member use of equipment we have all paid for - that person might be you!

One last point. It is possible that the Workshop already knows of the fault you have identified. They may have prioritised other work ahead of it, they may be waiting for parts to make the repair, or they may have passed on the earlier Maintenance Request onto another person/group to affect repairs. All of these circumstance can lead to a legitimate delays in repairing a fault. Don't let this discourage you from lodging your Maintenance Request - a duplicate Request is easily put aside, whereas a lack of knowledge can never be overcome.

Should you have any questions about Club processes for requesting and actioning maintenance on our equipment, please contact me on 0429 147 462.

John Millott - Chairman, GCV Instructors Panel