Rotax Service class Oct. 6 & 7, 2018 in Tucson, AZ

[Roger Lee]

Note*** When you call California Power Systems to sign up make sure you tell them it is for the Tucson, AZ class in October so it isn't confused with some other class..


New Rotax 912UL/ULS & 912iS Service Class
Conducted by Rotax Instructor Roger Lee in Tucson, AZ
In conjunction with California Power Systems
Come join us for a new and exciting Service class.

Lots of hands on so don't miss it!

http://www.cps-parts.com/catalog/rtxpages/912service-inspclass.php

Oct. 6th & 7th, 2018
(Saturday & Sunday)

This class is a must for an Owner, LSRM or an A&P mechanic to develop their 912 series inspection skills and knowledge.
This class will focus on a hands on approach to completing a 100 hour / annual condition inspection. The class will differ from other Service rated classes as it will spend less classroom time and a lot of hands on time with a live engine performing a 100 hour / Annual Condition Inspection. You will be able to ask on the spot questions and solve problems on the live engine while developing and expanding your 912 inspection skills and knowledge base. We will have classroom in the morning Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 6th & 7th) and spend both afternoons doing an annual inspection on an in-service and operational 912 engine. The afternoons will be spent in the hangar and everyone will be turning wrenches and performing task. You WILL understand a carb sync at the end of this class. We will have the Maintenance manual out and will follow the inspection procedures. At the end of this class you should be well grounded in the performance of a 100 hour / annual condition inspection. You will receive a Rotax Service certificate for successful completion of this class.
Our classroom is air conditioned and comfortable. Maximum student limit of 10. The class size is limited to make sure everyone gets to participate so don’t procrastinate and sign up now. Class times will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fly into Tucson International Airport (TIA) or fly your own plane into Ryan Airfield. Classes are Saturday and Sunday. All rental cars are on site at Tucson International Airport or Enterprise will pick you up if you fly into Ryan Airfield. Several hotels are just hundreds of yards down the street at TIA. Ryan Airport (KRYN) is only 10-12 minute drive. The entire experience is convenient and comfortable.
For additional information or to sign up call Brain Toepfer at CPS in CA at 951-549-7786 ext. 302 or email bryantoepfer@cps-parts.com. For additional class details call Roger Lee in Tucson, AZ at 520-574-1080.

CLASS OVERVIEW:
This is a two day 16 hour class that qualifies graduates to maintain 912 series engines under ASTM standards as set forth by the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) regulations. Passing a written exam is required for Rotax certification and graduates will be issued an IRMT (Independent Rotax Maintenance Technician) badge and service number valid for two years.
This course will supply attendees with the following information and skills:
· Rotax History and Product Familiarization
· Senders and Instrumentation
· Gearbox : The internal workings and maintenance
· Propeller considerations, adjustment and its effects on your engine
· Hose inspection, maintenance and considerations
· Oil System workings, maintenance and considerations
· Cooling System workings, maintenance and considerations
· Fuel System workings, maintenance and considerations
· Carburetor workings, maintenance and keeping them in sync
· Ignition Theory
· Compression and why it’s important, what it tells us and performance of a real compression test
· Troubleshooting
· Scheduled Maintenance
· Maintenance Documentation

MATERIALS:
All tools, reading materials, and supplies will be provided, however you should bring a laptop or tablet to view the manuals or do any research. A free WIFI connection is available in the classroom.


http://www.cps-parts.com/catalog/rtxpages/912service-inspclass.php

[Roger Lee]

Time is growing short and seats are getting on short supply. Good hands on for completing and understanding annuals. Make sure you tell CPS this is the Tucson, AZ class.

 

http://www.cps-parts.com/catalog/rtxpages/912service-inspclass.php

[EB3]

I've considered taking these classes every year (5) since I've owned a Rotax 912-powered airplane. What holds me back is my total lack of any mechanical experience and a self-perception of non-aptitude.  

Do guys like me typically do OK in these classes?

[Roger Lee]

Yes. Owners with no experience get lots of hands on and question / answer time. You'll walk away with a lot more knowledge than when you started. You'll have more confidence to perform some of your everyday work and when a mechanic does have it you'll know what needs to be done and why and if he doesn't know you'll be able to guide them. I've had many non experienced right up through mechanics attend classes. These are different than the normal classes around because we have ten times more hands on and knowledge based classes that go to the root of an annual and basic work.

[Roger Lee]

4 weeks to go and seats are in short supply. Good hands on for completing and understanding annuals. Make sure you tell CPS this is the Tucson, AZ class.

http://www.cps-parts.com/catalog/rtxpages/912service-inspclass.php

[Roger Lee]

Rotax Oct. 6^th & 7th Class Directions

 

Fly into Tucson International Airport (TIA) or fly your own plane into Ryan Airfield. Classes are Saturday and Sunday. All rental cars are on site at Tucson International Airport or Enterprise will pick you up if you fly into Ryan Airfield. Several hotels are just hundreds of yards down the street at TIA. Ryan Airport (KRYN) is only 10-12 minute drive. The entire experience is convenient and comfortable.

 

The class is Oct. 6^th & 7^th, Saturday & Sunday. The class will start promptly at 0800 each day and plan on staying until 1700 hours. There will be class in the conference room each day in the morning and work in the hangar each day after the class presentation. There will be a lunch break each day at approximately 1130 hours.
Please bring a laptop or tablet device in case you need to find Rotax information or manuals on line. There is Wi-Fi in the classroom.
The class is being held at Ryan Airfield (KRYN) in Tucson, AZ. (9698 W Ajo Hwy). This is west of Tucson proper and city limits and approximately 12 minute drive from the Tucson Airport (TIA). If you fly in your own aircraft parking is right up at the back door of the conference room. Rental cars are available at Tucson Airport and Enterprise usually will pick you up at Ryan if you need a car from there.

Directions to Ryan Airfield are as follows and can be reached by either Ajo Hwy or Valencia Rd. They both run right in front of Ryan Airport. The conference room is up front at the airport on Ajo Hwy. It is the only building out on Ajo Hwy and the only parking out on Ajo Hwy.
 

General Directions:
If you are staying in Tucson central or out by Interstate 10 then take I-10 to I-19 south. The turn right to go west bound on Ajo Hwy. Follow this road 12 miles out to Ryan Airfield.

If you are staying in a hotel out by Tucson Airport off Valencia Rd. Just head west on Valencia until it dead ends right at Ryan Airfield on Ajo Hwy.

There is a restaurant at Ryan field and you can have breakfast there. They open at 0600. Lunch is either at Ryan or at two other local restaurants.

Prepare to learn and have fun doing it!

For questions call Roger Lee in Tucson, Az at 520-574-1080 Home or 520-349-7056 cell or Bryan Toepfer at California Power Systems 505-550-8121.

[Danilo209]

Do you still do these classes @Roger Lee?

[Roger Lee]

I'm thinking of starting again in October. I'll post things when it gets closer. Usually a 2 month  notice.

Rotax is making a bunch of changes. Things like there used to be about 60 IRC's in the US. They are reducing that down to 10. Now you won't know who really has experience to work on an engine at that level  and I bet many won't attend higher level classes now. They are already complaining not many are attending the 3 day Heavy Maint. class and refresher classes. Then there are 5 of us instructors in the US. They all work at Rotax Service centers except me. So now they say I would have to go work for one of them. That isn't happening. So I think come Oct. I will be holding private Rotax school aimed at annuals, props (which they don't do) and general every day maint. The difference between my class and their's is I have always done far more hands on with a live engine performing an annual and other maint. vs their sit in the classroom looking at a Power Point program for two days with minimal engine time. Not to mention I'm a lot less expensive. So the difference will be less expensive and mostly all hands on training and just a couple hours Power Point. Everyone turns wrenches and screwdrivers. I have many already waiting to start because they all prefer real time hands on training for their everyday relevant work. We cover the 912UL, ULS and 912iS engines.

[TonyRuggles]

What’s the cost for a class like this? 

[Anticept]

I like how renewals (servive and line) for one are likely to remain a stay at home option. That's a huge deal because it's just a paperwork class.

Rotax may not like it, but heavy maintenance should not be a three day course for those keeping up their ratings. The real cost to attend is over twice that of the sticker price due to food, loging, and days of lost work; 3-5 times for independent mechanics. It brings work being listed, but outside of that, there's a good part of the class that doesn't need physical presence that could easily be shifted to online as well.

The reality is, these being 2 year renewal classes have been a sore spot for a while. If rotax really wants to keep attendance up, they need to find ways to work with people's schedules and reduce disruption.

[Danilo209]

On 5/16/2022 at 6:18 AM, Roger Lee said:

I'm thinking of starting again in October. I'll post things when it gets closer. Usually a 2 month  notice.

Rotax is making a bunch of changes. Things like there used to be about 60 IRC's in the US. They are reducing that down to 10. Now you won't know who really has experience to work on an engine at that level  and I bet many won't attend higher level classes now. They are already complaining not many are attending the 3 day Heavy Maint. class and refresher classes. Then there are 5 of us instructors in the US. They all work at Rotax Service centers except me. So now they say I would have to go work for one of them. That isn't happening. So I think come Oct. I will be holding private Rotax school aimed at annuals, props (which they don't do) and general every day maint. The difference between my class and their's is I have always done far more hands on with a live engine performing an annual and other maint. vs their sit in the classroom looking at a Power Point program for two days with minimal engine time. Not to mention I'm a lot less expensive. So the difference will be less expensive and mostly all hands on training and just a couple hours Power Point. Everyone turns wrenches and screwdrivers. I have many already waiting to start because they all prefer real time hands on training for their everyday relevant work. We cover the 912UL, ULS and 912iS engines.

Sign me up! Very interested! 

[179]

I'm in as well

[Towner]

I’d be very interested too.

[tevbax]

I would be interested as well.

[Jim Meade]

Roger, will Rotax recognize your classes as meeting their requirements?

[Roger Lee]

I was trained by Rotax and they were Rotax sanctioned, but due to their changing of policies they wanted all instructors to work at a Rotax service Center and they are reducing all the IRC's in the US from 60 down to 10 and they want all IRC's now to have clean rooms.

I will meet their requirements plus some. So my classes will not be sanctioned by Rotax any longer and I can offer the classes for a lot less cost to the attendee. These will be private classes and they won't get that piece of paper that says they attended, but they will get a better class and not sit for two days watching a Power Point presentation.  My classes have always been full. My classes have always been far more hands on than the other Rotax classes and that's what all the people seem to like and want. Less Power Point time in the classroom and more real time hands on with a live engine. There is some classroom time, but far less. I also cover things Rotax classes don't. i.e. how to set prop pitch, how to remove a gearbox to send to a service center or how to check carbs for debris and detailed instruction on carb sync in real time on an engine, ect.... I give each student an annual inspection list while we do the inspection so they can take notes and ask questions right then and there. Everyone turns wrenches and screwdrivers. I limit the class size to 10 no more than 12 so everyone can participate.

[Jim Meade]

Does one have to be current with Rotax maintenance courses to perform or sign-off any maintenance work on any Rotax engine, or is your course fine?

[Anticept]

§ 65.81 (a) and § 65.107 (d) are what you are looking for, Jim.

[Roger Lee]

11 hours ago, Jim Meade said:

Does one have to be current with Rotax maintenance courses to perform or sign-off any maintenance work on any Rotax engine, or is your course fine?

No one legally has to have a Rotax class or be current by FAA law. It's highly advised that owners and mechanics have knowledge about Rotax differences so they don't treat them like Continental's or Lycoming's.

 

[Jim Meade]

Do you stay current with Rotax courses, Roger?  I remember you have often talked of how much you learned in the classes that was not in the manuals.  I would expect that if you are going to pass on the latest from Rotax you'd have to be taking the Rotax courses yourself?  (Personally, I've taken all the Rotax courses through Heavy Maintenance from Bryan Carpenter, Brett Lawton and Ronnie Smith and never found one thing in the class that wasn't in the manuals, but that's just my experience.)

[Anticept]

Usually, in my experience, the Rotax heavy class gets you information before it's published in the manuals, as well as some field practices found to make certain jobs easier.

Examples of early knowledge: changes to the torque specs for the cylinder head bolt pattern. We got information a year ahead of time on that. Rotax had revised the torque spec a couple of times and one of those times, the torque was just way too high and an SB came out on it. We were told it was coming and already adopted the new torque spec before the SB release was finished.

Another example: the prop bearing in the front of the gearbox. it used to be installed with the open face forward, and oil didn't get to it. There was worry of possible foaming issues. Someone at the factory finally said "it's just exposed to oil mist, this is pointless" and that took a good couple years before it got put in the manuals, but I installed mine opening-back well ahead of that revision, and the bearing still looks great hundreds of hours later!

Yet another example: the idle mixture screws had no instructions in the manual for the longest time for fine-tuning idle. We were taught in class the process of tweaking if needed. It finally got put in the manuals 3-4 years ago.

Example of easier work: instead of using a slide hammer to remove the gearbox, an alternative (that I think is now in the manuals) was putting spacer pins in the holes and putting the bolts back in, turning them equally, and it will back the gearbox off safely. Can't just put them in any holes, there's only specific ones.

Example of unpublished solutions: if you fly locally at high altitude airports, like Denver, it may benefit you to move your carb circlip positions to position 2 instead. It will give slightly better power curves and help clean up your plugs. However, in doing so, you cannot fly to lower altitudes.

There's been some other stuff I am sure I have long forgotten. Would I say these classes are worth the time? Debatable. If you are already an avid manual follower, I'd say do the classes once for the hands on experience, and stick to the manual for each job you do, and you'll do fine. If you do a lot of work for the public, definitely keep up these classes because the discounts on top of the recurrent training adds up to a whole pile of money.

[Roger Lee]

4 hours ago, Jim Meade said:

Do you stay current with Rotax courses, Roger?  I remember you have often talked of how much you learned in the classes that was not in the manuals.  I would expect that if you are going to pass on the latest from Rotax you'd have to be taking the Rotax courses yourself?  (Personally, I've taken all the Rotax courses through Heavy Maintenance from Bryan Carpenter, Brett Lawton and Ronnie Smith and never found one thing in the class that wasn't in the manuals, but that's just my experience.)

I have been taking classes for a couple of decades every 2 years. I have been invited to the Bahama's several times to take specialty classes for different engines and being made an instructor. Plus I have direct access to specialty people high up in the Rotax chain.  haven't written many articles for Rotax Owner folks and I'm a tech on 6 websites and get about 3-6 calls a day from around the world.

Yep I keep up. Plus not much changes when teaching how to do annuals and the every day maint.

[Jim Meade]

Can anyone refer me to the web site where those with current Rotax training are listed?  I think I used to know but when I tried to find it last night I couldn't.

[Jim Meade]

7 hours ago, Anticept said:

Usually, in my experience, the Rotax heavy class gets you information before it's published in the manuals, as well as some field practices found to make certain jobs easier.

 

That's interesting, Corey, because it's not my experience.  When you apply the knowledge, how do you document the procedure?  Does Rotax make a formal announcement through the instructor in class and you are covered to implement the changes or are you more or less "on your own" until it gets into the manual?

[Anticept]

I document it and state the instructions as given in the class.

RFSC is an authorized representative of Rotax, and is a valid source of information. It might not be in a traditional delivery such as in a maintenance manual, but with over half a dozen witnesses in the room, I am not worried about proof if the question is raised. Since Flight Design defers the maintenance procedures to Rotax, it's acceptable data.