Managed aircraft wiring health directly relates to improved avionics performance

Nonintrusive test equipment is now available that can test aircraft wiring including any type of insulation or shielding. The test equipment can identify fault location within several centimeters and compare the examined wire performance to new wiring specifications regardless of type. The information gained from this test is then compared to a database of other aircraft as part of the management of the health of the wiring circuits, assessing risk due to wiring faults and planning for various maintenance and management decisions. The equipment can identify certain cost centers providing one aspect in the measure of total ownership cost for the aircraft. The average age of the commercial air fleet has exceeded 12 years with 2500 aircraft exceeding their design service objective, some exceeding 35 years of age. The forecasts indicate that both of these numbers will continue to increase over the next several decades. The down side of the aging process is that inspections methods in use today for examining the condition of aircraft wiring are only 25% effective and then only where the wire can be easily examined. This has placed special emphasis on wire testing, electronic system husbandry, improved testing methods and new wire system designs to ensure cost effective maintenance and improved safety. This has also resulted in the FAA starting to issue guidance for electrical systems as part of their aging aircraft program. In the past extending the safe and useful life of the aircraft has focused only on aircraft structure