Maintenance and Modifications
Use of PMA parts growing within rotorcraft ranks
“PMA parts? Ooh, now there’s a murky area,” said a maintenance supervisor who oversees the upkeep of an offshore oil support helicopter fleet numbering wel

“PMA parts? Ooh, now there’s a murky area,” said a maintenance supervisor who oversees the upkeep of an offshore oil support helicopter fleet numbering well over 100. His is the kind of large-scale operation where saving 10 percent on routine maintenance results in significant additions to the year-end bottom line. It’s also the kind of operation in which the perceived contraindications of using Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA) components are carefully weighed against the benefits. The company is one of a growing number of helicopter operations that are availing themselves of the cost-cutting benefits of PMA parts.

What the maintenance manager said is as important as the way he said it: tired and wary of the misunderstandings and misconceptions surrounding the world of PMA parts.