Riverside, CA Plane crash

[ahw01]

There’s your problem

I flew with an 87yo CFI last week. Generalisation doesn't help.

 

[Murdoughnut]

GA is heading for a hard landing. The duffers don't want to recognize it and most are whistling in the woods like a 64 YO hoping to make it to retirement.

The collapse of the entire GA eco-system is becoming a real possibility, and it's ripples will be felt throughout the whole industry.

Liking this not because I like it, but because I'm inclined to agree, unfortunately.

My flying club had seven aircraft to start the year. We lost a PA28 to an on-ground fire due to a pilot flooding the engine and refusing to concede with the starter. The beautiful glass panel (G3X) A36 I flew was lost two weeks ago to a gear-up. Of the remaining five aircraft, four are down for maintenance, with most waiting parts. We have one working aircraft (glass paneled Warrior) for a Club of what was north of 100 members (though I don't know what it is now). I resigned from the Club last week. No blame can be attributed to Club leadership/MX - they've been great, but general aviation just really doesn't work so well these days.

 

[Richman]

Liking this not because I like it, but because I'm inclined to agree, unfortunately.

My flying club had seven aircraft to start the year. We lost a PA28 to an on-ground fire due to a pilot flooding the engine and refusing to concede with the starter. The beautiful glass panel (G3X) A36 I flew was lost two weeks ago to a gear-up. Of the remaining five aircraft, four are down for maintenance, with most waiting parts. We have one working aircraft (glass paneled Warrior) for a Club of what was north of 100 members (though I don't know what it is now). I resigned from the Club last week. No blame can be attributed to Club leadership/MX - they've been great, but general aviation just really doesn't work so well these days.

This is the flip side of "they're a certified airline, so their training must be legit, right?", with the weird world view that simply the act of checking a box on a form means that everything is good to go.

These days, everything last thing needs to be checked off like it's a Part 25 transport. That alternator belt that cost you $120? Yea, that's just a $10 reboxed belt from PepBoys that someone said "yup, looks good" and stamped a PN on it, but their parts process from 1963 allows for it, so it's still good to go. People forget that when brands C/B/P/M started, the certification process was not quite so rigid, and there was more room for individual effort. PMAs could be easier, but weren't really necessary when the manufactueres were pumping out 3000 airframes a year. STCs could be often received with the local FSDOs/GADOs (remember those?) and field approvals were common.

Our whole GA ecosystem came out of that environment, but is now clamped down. Even your garden variety Cessna or Beechcraft needs to go to a specialty shop. Commodity parts are in short supply. When commodity parts like oil filters are on 6 month backorder, the system is on the verge of collapsing.

I was seriously thinking of upgrading my airplane, but seeing what was going on, I'm relieved to be out of the game until things shake out. The next big drama is the 100LL issue.

 

[knot4u]

This is the flip side of "they're a certified airline, so their training must be legit, right?", with the weird world view that simply the act of checking a box on a form means that everything is good to go.

These days, everything last thing needs to be checked off like it's a Part 25 transport. That alternator belt that cost you $120? Yea, that's just a $10 reboxed belt from PepBoys that someone said "yup, looks good" and stamped a PN on it, but their parts process from 1963 allows for it, so it's still good to go. People forget that when brands C/B/P/M started, the certification process was not quite so rigid, and there was more room for individual effort. PMAs could be easier, but weren't really necessary when the manufactueres were pumping out 3000 airframes a year. STCs could be often received with the local FSDOs/GADOs (remember those?) and field approvals were common.

Our whole GA ecosystem came out of that environment, but is now clamped down. Even your garden variety Cessna or Beechcraft needs to go to a specialty shop. Commodity parts are in short supply. When commodity parts like oil filters are on 6 month backorder, the system is on the verge of collapsing.

I was seriously thinking of upgrading my airplane, but seeing what was going on, I'm relieved to be out of the game until things shake out. The next big drama is the 100LL issue.

A friend of mine attended a FAA symposium a few years ago to maintain his IA status. He was told in no uncertain terms that field approvals were not going to happen, the FAA was done getting it's hands dirty. Tell me I'm wrong.