Effective Use of Borescopes

AMT: Finally, can you conclude by giving us some tips to remember when using RVI tools?

O’Connor: It goes without saying, but just as with all other aspects of your work, always remember that lives are on the line. Unlike a car, if there is a critical failure at 30,000 feet, your aircraft cannot simply pull to the side of the road.

• Be thorough.
• Use the best instruments you can afford.
• When in doubt, ask for a ­second opinion.

Remember that RVI is only one aspect of NDT, and it is not a universal solution. When used in concert with radiography, eddy current, or ultrasonic NDT methods, RVI helps to provide a complete picture of your aircraft.

Bustamante: Practice. There’s different tip adapters, like there are different lenses in a camera. Know what tips are available and when to use them. Today’s RVI equipment is digital and you need to know how to use that type of technology, like how to bring images into a computer … there’s so much potential for doing more if you get to know it and embrace the technology.