by Pete Schoeninger
Hey Pete:
I am a struggling GA aircraft owner. One mechanic tells me I need this, and another one tells me I need that. At what point do I say enough is enough and just fly the darn plane?
George Flatbroke
Frigidville, Minnesota
Dear Mr. Flatbroke:
If it is an airworthiness or safety issue, such as a bad engine cylinder, leaking fuel tank, damaged control surface, etc., do it, period. The same with Airworthiness Directives. By law, they have to be done within a certain amount of time.
Two ideas to help on annual inspection timing and expenses:
1) Some airplane owners do 13-month annuals. If your airplane’s last annual inspection was June 15, 2013, that runs out June 30, 2014. If you have your next annual inspection finished and signed off July 1, 2014, then the airplane can be flown thru July 31, 2015 – in effect giving you 12 months and 29 days of service.
2) A friend flies his airplane about 120 hours a year, but it has several repetitive 100-hour Airworthiness Inspections occurring. So rather than have half the airplane partially disassembled at the 100-hour mark for two AD inspections, then 20 hours later, disassembled again for an annual inspection, he simply has an annual inspection done when he hits 100 hours, which often occurs 10-11 months after the last annual inspection.
Recently an aircraft owner’s mechanic found a wheel pant very badly cracked. The owner was astonished to find out a replacement cost well over $1,000. Rather than bear that expense, he had his mechanic remove all three wheel pants, and revise the weight and balance for the plane, and the equipment list. That was a one-time expense of a couple hundred bucks. It also gained him 17 pounds useful load, but cost him about 3 mph in cruise speed. It also saved an hour or two a year of labor from having to remove the pants to inspect wheels and brakes at each annual!
Other issues are optional. For instance, do you need a “stand-by vacuum pump” or “stand-by generator?” If you’re strictly flying VFR, probably not, but for heavy IFR, you sure should consider stuff like that.
If you cannot afford to keep an airplane in good safe condition, don’t fly it. Sell it, and rent or join a flying club!
Email your questions to Pete@Flymilwaukee.com
