Extending the life of your aircraft batteries

July 2020

An aircraft's battery is one if not THE highest-maintenance component on board with items due every three months or 100 hours. Yet it is often ignored, abused and left idle for long stretches of time. A well-maintained battery can provide 3-5 years of dedicated service. If you apply the simple steps below, you may get even more.

1. Make sure the master switch is in the off position before shutting down the aircraft and walking away.
2. When on the ground, disconnect the aircraft batteries and use ground batteries.
3. Use ground power assist at start-up.
4. Perform periodic voltage and visual inspection. There should be no excessive voltage difference between cells, as well as electrolyte build-up or bulging cells.
5. Don’t ignore the 100-hour inspection requirement.

With several battery support shops either closed or furloughed, our team continues to work hard to meet customer demands, staffing our 1,400-square-foot full-service aircraft battery shop 7 days a week. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, our shop incorporates a battery cooler and advanced diagnostic test sets, including 2400w programmable DC electronic load banks, lead acid analyzers, and main NiCad charger analyzers. The shop sees 85 to 100 batteries each week, and on average 75% are checked, charged, and returned to customers within 5 days.

For sales or service on your aircraft’s batteries, contact Duncan Aviation Sales Rep Phil Ozenbaugh at Phil.Ozenbaugh@DuncanAviation.com or +1 402.479.1639.