In a significant engineering milestone, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) engineers have, for the first time, successfully undertaken a 4800-hour Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) on a Dornier -228 (DO-228) aircraft.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet, in Monday in Abuja.
Gabkwet said that such level of scheduled maintenance on the DO-228 aircraft, previously performed by foreign Maintenance Repair Organizations (MROs), was completed at a significantly cheaper rate and with reduced aircraft downtime.
In his remarks, the Chief of Aircraft Engineering (CACE), AVM Pius Oahimire, said that the completion of the in-country PDM was a major boost to capacity building and demonstrated a newfound confidence in aircraft maintenance in the NAF.
Oahimire said the motivation for the feat was no doubt derived from a key enabler of the Chief of Air the Staff (CAS), Command Philosophy which harps on prioritising logistics support and strong maintenance culture.
He commended the Unit Commander, AVM Olanrewaju Oyename, for his exceptional leadership and creating the enabling environment for his engineers to thrive and achieve this remarkable milestone.
Oahimire encouraged the engineers to continue striving for excellence, adding that the NAF would remain committed to providing the necessary support and conducive working environment for personnel to function effectively and achieve the service’s mission objectives.
He appreciated the CAS for his unwavering commitment to ensuring quality aircraft maintenance in the NAF.
On his part, the Air Officer Commanding, Air Training Command, Kaduna, AVM Nnamdi Ananaba, expressed delight at the command for the attainment of the feat.
Ananaba said that the vision for the 431 Engineering Group Kaduna, was to be an MRO, saying the accomplishment of the 4800-hours inspection indicated that the vision was achievable.
Earlier, the Commander, AVM Oyename said the inspection of the aircraft which was designated NAF 031, began in May 2021 but faced several delays, primarily due to challenges in acquiring necessary spare parts.
He praised the determination, commitment, and expertise of the engineers and technicians who undertook the historic task.
According to him, this is the first PDM on a NAF aircraft conducted entirely by NAF personnel in the First Engineering Unit of the NAF at the Premier NAF Base in Kaduna.
The Commander emphasised the need for NAF engineers to undertake further specialist training to enhance their maintenance capabilities.
In his remarks, the Commanding Officer of 30 Engineering Wing, Wing Commander Micheal Aransiola, explained that the 4800-hours inspection was the highest level of maintenance carried out on the DO-228 aircraft.
Aransiola said the PDM was done in five-phase processes, saying that Phase one involved acceptance, documentation and docking while the Phase two included paint stripping and removal of components.
According to him, Phase three focused on repairing discrepancies; Phase four involved reinstallation of components and operational checks; and Phase five concluded with ground checks, taxi checks, and a Functional Check Flight.
“The successful completion of the 4800-hours inspection marks a new era of self-reliance and technical proficiency for the NAF,” he said. (NAN)
By Sumaila Ogbaje
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