There has got to be a better way. Well there is.

A better way – to service landing gear struts

It sounded like a shotgun blast by my ear. A Cessna 402 dropped a foot and could have broken my neck had it not been for me to lean over, reaching for a wrench. It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention. That may be true. In my case, I was looking for a better, safer, and easier way to do things. The way struts are serviced on aircraft hasn’t changed much since WW2. It’s messy, potentially dangerous and physically taxing.

Why jack the whole airplane when you only need to service one strut? Why risk damage to the airplane? Why break your back? These are some of the questions I asked myself. Sure, it’s been done the way we learned in school but isn’t there a better way.

Twelve years ago I designed the Pressurized Strut Filler. That changed everything for mechanics. Without putting the plane on jacks, a mechanic can fill struts and add nitrogen or air without making a mess and without hardly any effort. It’s safe for the airplane and safe for the mechanic.

For the FBO, there are some major pluses. First, you are less likely to cause any damage to the airplane. Second, you can free up hangar space because the airplane can be serviced anywhere, even in a wind storm. That gives you a lot of flexibility. You can use your jacks where you need them. Third, it will make you money by flat rating strut service that takes you one tenth the time to perform. Cha Ching!

Take a look at our 12 year old video. There have been an number of improvements to the first units but it works the same way. You can get one at Bogert Aviation Inc.  https://youtu.be/Yy67w1B_KzY?si=7yqPw77UxFXSTOsD

Climbing on course,

Richard W Bogert