Eccleston Aviation

Eccleston Aviation, Rotax engine service centre in Lancashire

Eccleston Aviation is a British aviation workshop focused on the maintenance, repair and overhaul of Rotax aircraft engines. The company presents itself as a Rotax engine repair centre in the United Kingdom and as an iRMT accredited service and maintenance facility, a status it attributes to its training with Kodiack, Franz and CFS Aero. Its activity combines workshop work with the supply of engines and spare parts.

Service for the Rotax 912 series and two-stroke engines

The bulk of the offering is organised into two main areas. On the one hand, maintenance of the Rotax 912 series of aircraft engines; on the other, service, overhaul and troubleshooting for Rotax two-stroke engines. The company states it has a full repair and overhaul facility for all Rotax engine types.

Gearboxes and load testing

The workshop includes Rotax gearbox servicing and shock load or propeller strike testing, with specific tests for the 912 and 914 models. It also performs hardness testing and magnetic particle inspection (magnaflux).

Fault diagnosis

The website devotes sections to troubleshooting Rotax 912 problems, including sprag clutch failures, and to two-stroke engine troubleshooting. This is complemented by FlyDat resetting and reprogramming.

Engines, spare parts and technical documentation

The company holds an extensive stock of Rotax aircraft engines and spare parts, and offers an exchange programme for most Rotax engine types. It has an online shop. According to the site, most parts in stock can be dispatched the same day and, if not available, can usually be sourced and sent within about two days depending on availability.

It also provides technical documentation for all Rotax engine types: illustrated parts catalogues (IPC), manuals, data sheets, service bulletins and service letters, available to view and download in PDF format.

Workshop and on-site support

In addition to the fixed workshop, the company has a mobile workshop to travel to the aircraft's location. Its support offering includes telephone assistance and on-site assistance for Rotax owners throughout the United Kingdom. Among the tasks it mentions are engine installation, initial start-up, permit renewal and BMAA kit stage inspections, as well as insurance work.

Family history since the 1990s

Eccleston Aviation was founded in the early 1990s by Keith Worthington. Its origins lie in the engine expertise of Keith and his brother Allan, who trained as flexwing pilots in the 1980s at Northern Microlight School, a school still run by Graham Hobson. That specialisation led them to take charge of engine maintenance for the aircraft fleet in north-west England, and the growing workload gave rise to the company.

The business came to have two workshops: one dedicated to engine assembly, known as 'The ROTAX room', and another called 'the middle shop' due to its location between two buildings, where numerous aircraft were built, from the single-seat Mini Max to more recent models such as the Skyranger and C42. Simon Worthington, Allan's son, joined the workshop at a young age and moved to full-time work after an apprenticeship; in 2013 he bought the company from Keith, who remains involved with the workshop and participates in its activities.

Official Rotax support centre

In early 2015, the new Rotax importers, CFS Aero, proposed that the company become an official Rotax support centre, an offer it accepted. The firm maintains that it works to high execution standards and contained prices, a point that corresponds to its own presentation.

Terms of service

The company reminds that aircraft parts and services must be installed and inspected in accordance with the manufacturer's documentation and applicable regulatory requirements, and that airworthiness remains the responsibility of the aircraft owner or licensed engineer.

Location and contact

77 Fossdale Moss Leyland Lancashire PR26 7AS · Phone: 01772 466919 · Email: simon@ecclestonaviation.co.uk