Vector Online - In category Engineering and maintenance

Read our special 'online' Vector stories here. Some are unique to the website, and some have featured in print issues of Vector.

Note: This archive dates back to 2015. So, the advice in some of the earlier articles may have changed.

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The STC approval process

It can be a long and complex job to get a New Zealand supplemental type certificate (STC) for your new bit of kit. Here’s how it goes.

Posted in Aircraft owner and aircraft, Engineering and maintenance, Operators;

Posted 3 months ago

Engineers' mental health

The working lives of LAMEs are interwoven with stress. Sometimes, it gets too much. Here’s how to spot the early signs and take action.

Posted in Engineering and maintenance, Health and human factors;

Posted 4 months ago

The value of an electronic CO detector

By NZAAL CFI, Celroy Mascarenhas Installing electronic CO detectors across the entire training fleet wasn’t cheap – but we believe that almost immediately, one saved two lives.

Posted in Engineering and maintenance, Engines and engine failure, General safety;

Posted 4 months ago

How to get from stress to strength

By CAA Chief Advisor of Human Factors, Alaska White BSc Psychology (Otago); MSc Psychology (Distinction) (Otago) Working long hours is the norm for an aircraft maintenance engineer.

Posted in Engineering and maintenance, Health and human factors;

Posted 5 months ago

Proactive maintenance and incident reporting

Incidents are free lessons, but to get their maximum benefit, we need your reports.

Posted in Aircraft owner and aircraft, Engineering and maintenance, Operators, Reporting;

Posted 12 months ago

Be aware of date mix-ups

08/01/23 could be 8th January – or 1st August. As most people know, English (including Australian and New Zealand) date formats are different from American date formats.

Posted in Engineering and maintenance, Aircraft owner and aircraft;

Posted 13 months ago

Reporting defects in mods

A reminder to aircraft owners, and engineers, to report defects that are affecting modifications, to the relevant design organisation.

Posted in Engineering and maintenance, Aircraft owner and aircraft;

Posted 13 months ago

I learned about distraction from this. And stress. And workload.

A busy chief engineer, pulled in too many directions, with too many interruptions, experiences the inevitable.

Posted in Engineering and maintenance, Engines and engine failure, When things go wrong, General safety, Health and human factors;

Posted 19 months ago

Missed the ADS-B deadline?

You now must have ADS-B OUT if you’re flying in controlled airspace. This is what to do if you need to enter controlled airspace without it.

Posted in Airspace, Components, Engineering and maintenance;

Posted 20 months ago

Duplicate inspections

Some recent occurrences illustrate the vital importance of carrying out a thorough duplicate inspection. Read the articleDuplicate inspections

Posted in Engineering and maintenance;

Posted 2 years ago

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