<< Back To Home

What are Cessna Supplemental Inspection Documents (SIDs)? And why are they important to me?

Due to growing concerns over the safety of their flying/aging fleet, Cessna and The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started work on the SIDs development program in the late 1990s. The inspection documents aim to provide a regime that maintains the structural integrity of the airframe as the aircraft ages. This regime complements scheduled maintenance inspections. All our aircraft have been SID-inspected, are SID-compliant and SID-maintained which is a first and only in the commercial seaplane industry as far as we know. Our award-winning quality and SID-compliance status set us apart and above all others.

Every aircraft, Cessna or otherwise, ages from date of manufacture. However, the rate an individual aircraft ages depends on how that particular aircraft has been operated, maintained and stored over its life. Every aircraft will age in a unique manner depending on its own circumstances. Though not yet required in the United States, other countries such as Australia have pushed to require these inspections of all operators and all pertinent aircraft.

The structural inspection program, which complements existing scheduled maintenance, requires a detailed inspection of a range of structural areas such as wing spars, wing attachment points, strut attachments, rudder bars and attachment points and horizontal stabilizer attachment points.

Rather than wait for the FAA in the United States to require SID inspections and compliance programs in the United States we have proactively complied with the program, assuring you the most impeccably maintained and structurally safe fleet in the industry. We strive to set the industry standard and challenge other seaplane operators and aircraft fleet owners to do the same. The process is very expensive and time consuming but the Herculean feat of achieving a SID-compliant fleet means a safe and comfortable charter flight for you.

Yes, all of our aircraft have won awards such as Grand Champion, Reserve Grand Champion and Outstanding In Type but awards judge an aircraft only for that moment in time. Our SID inspection and maintenance program is our commitment to each of our aircrafts every day, all day going into the future from that date of an award. It's the assurance that your aircraft maintains its award-winning quality and its SID-compliant status.

We are proud to have the first and only all-award winning and SID compliant fleet in the industry. Please feel free to contact us for further information.