Altimeter recert.

[glidepath]

how long does it take you to do a bi-annual altimeter recert? if you follow all the steps in CAR's, wait times, etc how long does it take to recertify an altimeter to 20 000' assuming its a straight recert and no adjustments need be made?

[Bulawrench]

A recert takes ussually a day. This includes the bench checking and log entries. I am speaking comercial aircraft.

[Grease Nipple]

A recert of your altimeter on the bench should take an hour, this not include removal/installation time or leak check of the aircraft.
It is more cost effective to have it recertified on the airframe doing the transponder recert at same time. To do both CAR's 571 appendices
B&F takes 4 hours in situ.
Commercial aircraft with 2 altimeters, 2 transponders and 2 pitot/static systems takes 6 hours, 8hrs for RVSM, doing it in situ.

[glidepath]

so taking an altimeter to get rescertified on the bench should be about an hour?

[Bulawrench]

There is always the chance it is "fubared". Then it will have to be replaced.

[Grease Nipple]

so taking an altimeter to get rescertified on the bench should be about an hour?

Yes, if it passes an hour should be enough. Remember though that it takes times to remove/install it and perform the leak check.
If you have a trasnsponder I recommend testing it at same time on aircraft with the altimeter. This will save time and money.

[glidepath]

according to CAR's "The altimeter shall be subjected to a steady rate of decrease of pressure approximating 750 feet per minute. At each altitude listed in Table III, the change in reading of the points after vibration shall not exceed the corresponding tolerance specified in Table III." And for an altimeter to be tested to 1000 feet just getting to that altitude will take close to 30 minutes @ 750fpm. And each test point at the scale error has to kept at that pressure for at least one minute but no more than ten minutes and theres 16 points to reach at 20 000 feet. thats just 2 tests, its impossible to do it properly in one hour.

[Grease Nipple]

One hour is a standard charge for testing an altimeter on the bench, it takes a little longer but that is what shops charge for doing it. I am curious as to why you are asking this question?

[glidepath]

Ahh the reason I ask... Well a company I worked for had an avionics shop that took care of the fleet, one of our duties was altimeter recerts. Now a few of the techs who worked there before i arrived were extremely lazy and found ways to avoid work at all costs. anyways one day i did a couple altimeter recerts and charged about 2.5 hours on time card for each, including paperwork , form one, log book entry etc etc... The next day I get called into the office and questioned how come i did them so fast, why was i taking short cuts.. The mamanger said (based on what the previously employed techs had told him) that an altimeter recert when done properly takes a minimum of 3.5 hours to 4 hours to recertify up to 20 000 feet. These are basic uniyed instrument altimeters btw just go to 20 000 feet no encoding, nothing at all complex. anyways just wondering what other people thought, my first hunch, based on their behavious in other ares at the shop was that they just wanted to the least amount of work in the most amount of time possible, and 4 hour altimeter recerts were part of that