jrh
Well-Known Member
I'd like to hear your thoughts from an A&P perspective on a situation I'm getting in to:
I have an opportunity to flight instruct in a C-150 at a small, private grass strip. Because of some issues with insurance, the plane has only flown 6 hours in the last 4 months, and hadn't flown at all in the year prior to that.
It is stored outside, but looks to be fairly well cared for. It has good tie-down ropes, window covers, a pitot tube cover, air intake covers, nice interior, nice avionics, etc. I looked through the maintenance logs and everything seems to be in order, considering how little it has flown. The last three records, spread over the past two years, were for two annuals and a transponder check. In other words, it hasn't been looked at much, but that's to be expected, considering it hasn't been flying.
Something that concerns me are a few comments made by the private pilot/primary renter of the plane who was showing me around. He mentioned they use a regular air compressor to fill the nose strut. When I said I thought nitrogen was supposed to be used, he said, "Yeah, that's what I thought too, but the mechanic said air was 80% nitrogen anyway, so just use air, so that's what we've been doing."
When I noticed in the cockpit that there was no compass deviation card under the magnetic compass, the guy showing me around said, "I'm not sure about that...the mechanic has signed off on two annuals with it like that, so it must be ok."
It's not so much the specific problems that I saw as it is the mechanic's response to them that bothered me. But I'll be the first to admit I'm a pilot, not a mechanic, so I don't know what to think. Am I being too picky? Or is this mechanic cutting corners?
Also, aside from this issue, what should I be aware of with a plane that has been stored outside and only flown 6 hours in the past 18 months? Is there anything I should be especially careful with during my first few pre-flights? In case you're wondering about the climate, this plane is in eastern Pennsylvania.
Thanks for your help.
I have an opportunity to flight instruct in a C-150 at a small, private grass strip. Because of some issues with insurance, the plane has only flown 6 hours in the last 4 months, and hadn't flown at all in the year prior to that.
It is stored outside, but looks to be fairly well cared for. It has good tie-down ropes, window covers, a pitot tube cover, air intake covers, nice interior, nice avionics, etc. I looked through the maintenance logs and everything seems to be in order, considering how little it has flown. The last three records, spread over the past two years, were for two annuals and a transponder check. In other words, it hasn't been looked at much, but that's to be expected, considering it hasn't been flying.
Something that concerns me are a few comments made by the private pilot/primary renter of the plane who was showing me around. He mentioned they use a regular air compressor to fill the nose strut. When I said I thought nitrogen was supposed to be used, he said, "Yeah, that's what I thought too, but the mechanic said air was 80% nitrogen anyway, so just use air, so that's what we've been doing."
When I noticed in the cockpit that there was no compass deviation card under the magnetic compass, the guy showing me around said, "I'm not sure about that...the mechanic has signed off on two annuals with it like that, so it must be ok."
It's not so much the specific problems that I saw as it is the mechanic's response to them that bothered me. But I'll be the first to admit I'm a pilot, not a mechanic, so I don't know what to think. Am I being too picky? Or is this mechanic cutting corners?
Also, aside from this issue, what should I be aware of with a plane that has been stored outside and only flown 6 hours in the past 18 months? Is there anything I should be especially careful with during my first few pre-flights? In case you're wondering about the climate, this plane is in eastern Pennsylvania.
Thanks for your help.
