All Things Aviation Related

[bugstrider]

Hey everyone,
As many of you know, I have effectively been blowing up two different threads with miscellaneous picture, posts and discussion on aviation related items. Things that I have seen, encountered or done all related to aviation. At the recommendation of another member, I have created a new thread that will follow my exploits regarding my own experiences owning an relatively affordable 1967 Cessna 150G(since 2003), work that I have done (overseen by a licensed A&P), county rental hangar improvements and such.

We have enough members that have a vested interest in aviation that I am hoping that a collection of topics will get added so it could benefit members, like myself, all in hopes of making general aviation better.

So the only hard and fast rule is...."there are no rules". Someone can learn from something, so if you have a topic, question, pic, adventure, whatever it is, post it. Everyone like pictures too..... Topics that I will be asking about are numerous in nature so if you have experiences, good or bad, expertise knowledge, an opinion, please share.

So to kick things off, a little back ground.

After being a career student pilot back in the beginning in 1996, I began and intended to get my single engine land rating. Living in Corona at the time (due to work) I ended up at the Hemet Ryan Airobatic Flight Center where I completed all of my primary training in Citabria's, with a splash of L-19, T-6 and Stearman. Due to a transfer with the State, I t brought me back up to Sacramento where I then continued my tailwheel training at the Natomas Flying Club. Due to it closing, another student who had no business flying tailwheel aircraft ground looped the Decathlon (hot rod with a 160 HP fuel injected, inverted oil system and aileron spades), I had to find other means to complete my rating. It was totally my fault, but I just kinda lingered in the training phase without any real guidance or structure so that is why it took so long. Didn't help with life getting in the way on numerous occasions. In 2003 a local owner was selling a 150 and I figured it would be a good way to get things wrapped up. It was affordable and insurance was easy on the wallet as well. We still own the 150G and I find myself wanting something a bit more sporty.

A pic of the ElDorado County owned rental hangar that we now occupy...... and pay county property tax on. (Welcome to CA folks)


I spent 9 years on a waiting list to get into this. That is why I kinda spruced it up from the dark hole it was.

Here are a couple of current topics I am addressing today.
1) With the advent of technology, tablet apps are a useful tool. Since I haven’t used any to determine which one is best, I have narrowed the field down to two. Foreflight and FlyQ EFB. With that, I am also needing to replace my Gen-1 iPad mini since all of these now require a more modern IOS and Apple is essentially phasing out older devises by no longer supporting the operating systems. I get it, it is just a shot in the arm on cost. There is also the cost of the app subscriptions too. The more bells and whistles, the more money you will spend.

So what are your experiences with the available aviation apps? Did you start out with one and switch to another, if so why and include any 20/20 hindsight. What tablet are you using it on and what are the reasons you chose it, functionality, ease, cost.

2)ADS-B "OUT"
If we elect to keep the plane, we will need to look at this option as well by the deadline of 1-1-2020. At an airframe value of the 150 around 18-20K, it hard to justify the more expensive systems available. Looking at the Uavionics Tailbeacon currently for certified aircraft.

So there you have it. Thanks for reading and Cheers

Bugs

[bugstrider]

Some of my recent endeavors...
-Replaced vacuum pump, hoses and new fittings
-Airbox rebuilt and reworked
-Updated carburetor
-Overhauled nose strut (nightmare)
-A chit-ton of cosmetic paint work
-Nose pant repair, paint, followed by more repairs and paint due to a faulty magnetic oil tank warmer
-replaces the disintegrating OEM ABS wingtips with better performance ones
-overhauled fixed pitch propeller
-Tires n tubes
-brakes
-repacked the bearings but that kinda falls in with the wheel stuff
-oil
-annual
-hand polished the spinner and replaced both bulkheads too

There is more stuff I am sure I have forgotten. As mentioned before, I have been working closely with my A&P. All appropriate FAA paperwork completed and filed.


M

















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bugstrider]

Because I like to tinker and have aspirations of building my own fast mover, I have always been interested in getting my A&P.

The latest issue of AOPA Pilot has an interesting article on that topic. I just don’t know that I have that kinda time. Our local school is based at the McClellan Airpark and working shift work can be a challenge at best.

The nice part would that I could fly to an from so traffic shouldn’t be an issue.





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[Seahawk]

How much can you do before the A&P gets involved?

Is he or she more of a Quality Assurance role?

I have never owned my own plane but buy gas for friends of mine that do. I only fly 30 hours or so a year now, CAVU to the Moon, $100 dollar hamburger stuff.

My business partner has a Lancair but it is really cramped (sitting height) and I don't enjoy it at all...amazing aircraft but it is like me trying to get into a wet suit.

[GH85Carrera]

I am in the aviation business. We do aerial photography and mapping. We bought a Cessna 2004 182T Skylane. I am not yet a pilot, but my business partner is. It is an amazing piece of equipment but in some way primitive because any logical upgrade requires all sorts of paperwork, so it can't be changed.

The glass panel is really cool, but we had just one button on one panel quit working. That means replace the entire panel bigger than an iPad. And of course only a qualified instrument shop can do it.

[Dantilla]

This could turn into my favorite thread.

[flipper35]

If you build in the experimental category you are your own A&P by default. Though being certified would be a plus.

Paul, is that one of the 2 seat Lancair models? I know they can be sporty, but they aren't very big. Maybe ideal for a Tom Cruise sized guy.

Bugs, what kind of sportiness are you looking for? Speed, aerobatics?

I did all my flight training in a C152. 5323M was my favorite of the fleet. That was 1987. Fun little planes if you and your passenger aren't very big.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by flipper35

If you build in the experimental category you are your own A&P by default. Though being certified would be a plus.

I recently sold my certified airplane, and started building an RV-7.
As long as I can document satisfactorily that I built it, I can get a "Repairman's Certificate" for this airplane only.
Otherwise, the owner must have an A&P inspect it once a year.

My reason for going experimental- Had a great mechanic at my home airport who treated my airplane as his own baby. He left the airport, and scheduling other mechanics to do simple things I could easily, but not legally, do myself got pretty frustrating.

With an RV-7, I can go fast, go upside-down, still get in and out of short, remote runways while using far less fuel than the 550 cubic inch engine I was feeding. And I can perform all maintenance, repairs and upgrades myself.

[Dantilla]

What I recently sold:



What I'm building:



Though right now it's just a bunch of random-looking aluminum parts.

[flipper35]

What you sold is what my friend is currently looking for.

I like the Van's stuff for putzing around in.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by flipper35

Paul, is that one of the 2 seat Lancair models? I know they can be sporty, but they aren't very big. Maybe ideal for a Tom Cruise sized guy.

It is a two seater...great airplane, fast and fun to fly. I have about 20 hours in an A-4 and my shoulders touched the canopy rails. The Lance felt smaller.

Originally Posted by Dantilla

What I'm building:



Though right now it's just a bunch of random-looking aluminum parts.

This is what this thread is for!

I flew an RV-4 at the RV plant in Redmond when my Dad lived in Bend, early 2000's. I fit fine. The 4 is everything I want in a private plane.

Fantastic, Dantilla...I helped build a Harmon Rocket a number of years ago that is still tearing up the skies.

[flipper35]

A guy at our church has an RV-6. He is repainting it right now.

For sight seeing around the area a Pacer or Tri-Pacer would be fine with me. 5gph and a little bit of room as you can't fit 3 in a J3 or Champ.

All I have flown were Cessna or Piper aircraft. For long hauls the Cherokee 6 is a good SUV of an airplane.

A friend of dad's has a Legacy. Said about 275kts cruise in it. Don't know if it is stock. He has a car being built for the mile race in TX. Said it is around 3000hp.

There is a lot of fun stuff out there these days, though some of hte certified stuff is really expensive.

[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

How much can you do before the A&P gets involved?



Is he or she more of a Quality Assurance role?



I have never owned my own plane but buy gas for friends of mine that do. I only fly 30 hours or so a year now, CAVU to the Moon, $100 dollar hamburger stuff.



My business partner has a Lancair but it is really cramped (sitting height) and I don't enjoy it at all...amazing aircraft but it is like me trying to get into a wet suit.

As an owner and if I understand the FAR's, I can legally do oil, brakes, fluids, tires n tubes, repack wheel bearings, filter, plugs. I am required to document it in the appropriate logs. I am sure I have either missed something but that sums most of it up on the certified stuff. Any additional items, I discuss and plan with the A&P on what needs to be done under his tutelage. I have always been in the mechanically minded and like working on stuff. It my bacon up there so I take the time to research and do things right taking copious notes. Once completed, I then show, explain and present any documentation to my A&P. In all, it’s all very basic stuff that is non-structural or power plant related. I will always defer that to the subject matter experts. So you can say it a quality assurance thing too. Once the job is completed and inspected, he then endorses the appropriate log book.

Although, that little nugget bit me in the arse earlier with just a simple Cessna nose strut that I dropped off at a licensed FAA repair facility rather than tackle it with my A&P since he was out of the state on another job. I don’t trust our local in field FAA repair station simply due to the fact they have done some questionable things to some our older pilots an owners regarding aircraft repairs.

In my case, after I dropped off the strut, I get what no owner wants to hear. “Just the person I need to talk to”. I “guess” when they(probably the high school ROP student- but no proof so it’s just speculation) was tasked with the struts breakdown. When the metering pin was removed, the small press nut was removed. Now I am unsure because I’ve yet to get a straight answer on “how” it was removed, via wrench, socket or air tool. Anyway, all of the threads were damaged.






This is where aircraft ownership becomes ridiculous. That particular metering pin for our 150, carried a price tag of $3850.00 from Cessna. Now I have no way of knowing how that bolt was removed and if it was locked on it was, I just know that if I encountered a frozen bolt, I would have taken steps to try to remove without destroying the part. Saying that, I fully understand that my result may have been the same. Anyway, all I could do is move forward. Luckily, I have an aircraft salvage yard down in Sacramento that I was able to find one very close to the one in our nose strut. There were some differences but very minor. The shop wanted me to have the replacement pin machined down to match exactly match. Luckily, we have a machine/milling shop that does some very high tech stuff that I was able to have done as a “side job”. Even better, they like odd jobs like this and even have a retired A&P who comes in once in a while take on this job.

The repair shop rejected the first go by saying a collar was .0030 too tall and needed machining. So I lost another two weeks in getting the metering pin machined again.

Once the metering pin was accepted, I provided them with the FAA/PMA seal kit and they reassembled the unit. Reinstalling the nose strut was a very simple job, especially with my A&P overseeing it. A simple roll pin on the tip mounting collar and a through bolt in the lower to lock it in. Everything else is bolted back in place, torque specks checked and cotter pins installed.

I guess it comes down to me doing the grunt labor, learning something and the A&P’s supervised time.

Cheers

[GH85Carrera]

We just finished getting our 182 out of annual. Dang that was painful for just the labor to inspect every moving part. At one point the mechanic threw a big problem at us. There is a mandatory AD for the seat recliner mechanism. At first we were told it was $2,900 per seat! Then he found that is was "only" $2,900 for both. Still not good. Finally they actually looked at the seats, and the update has been done. They looked again in the log books and a sticker had been misplaced. So all was well.

[dar636]

Great thread idea! I’ll go next: I’m an aircraft owner lucky enough to have a late model 185. I’ve owned a Champ, 182, Maule will keep the 185 until I quit.

I hold an A&P, with IA and make a living as a FAA DAR (FSDO and MIDO) as well as a DAI for Bermuda and San Marino. The bulk of my work is transport aircraft, being a general aviation guy at heart keeps me from any authorization restrictions so I’ll work anything -rotorcraft, GA, business aircraft, etc

I started just after high school and look to retire at 65 in four years. Boats are easier to maintain at this point. I’ll send better some pics later. Keep the thread going!

[flipper35]

Dude, I so hate you now!

I really like those.

[seafeye]

My 170 just needs a 180hp

[bpu699]

Looking to buy a plane soon...

Learning that if you go experimental, you likely void your life insurance, umbrella, and liability... none cover experimental aircraft...

[tevake]

I have a feeling this thread will be an ongoing delight!

Count me in as a fan boy. I've been going to air show like events in recent years. More on the tarmac shows than flying air shows.

I love walking around checking out all the cool planes and meeting their owners to get the stories. They are very patient with guys like me with no real background in aviation, willing to point out interesting aspects of their planes.

I also enjoy aviation museums. I'm not far from Pensacola and plan to get over there again soon. Got the chance to visit the Airforce museum in Ohio a couple of years ago too.

I aLso really enjoyed the early aviation collection at WAAAM. In Hood River, where I met a friend for a carshow there A couple of years ago. Amazing collection of early concept designs.

It would be great if you that are sharing your neat planes here please include enough info for us know nothings to be able to google them for more details.

And thanks for sharing.

Cheers Richard

[crustychief]

I would love to build and fly a plane someday but I guess rebuilding the only known surviving SBD-1 will have to do for now. I volunteer at the Flying Leatherneck museum and have plenty of projects going on.