Aerodon

Here's a link: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/search/search.php?s=inverter My money is on a 400hz inverter for a compass system, or for a power converter - up or down 14/28 or 28/14V. Don

I had this problem in my Seneca many years ago. The system would appear to be working, but occasionally you could start a turn and the HSI would not turn, but then usually catch up with the turn. Got worse until you could turn 30 degrees before the HSI would start turning and catch up. Problem was with the KG102A gyro, removed and sent in for repair. It was not a gyro problem, but an issue with the optical components. Best is to swap each component out with a borrowed unit - Gyro, then HSI, then fluxgate, then slaving accessory? My best guess is replace the KG102A, you should be able to find a relatively inexpensive used unit. Yes, your shop might have looked at all these components, but very few have the bench facilities to test each of these components properly. Also, check each of these components connectors, if you have a KA51A slaving accessory, the 'card edge' type connector is terrible. We once found a wire that had been pushed into one of the autopilot connectors and not soldered. Worked like that for 25 years from the factory. Any recent work that might have disturbed the wiring? Don

$2,950 as in the title. Don

I accumulated the parts for another complete system. Yes I know you will see systems for less, but take into account it costs a lot to replace missing parts, and even more to repair. Contact supercub180@gmail.com when you are ready. Aerodon

I have one new EDM830 at 'Oshkosh' pricing. Also a good used EDM830 coming in - I can package this with new harness and probes and whatever transducers you need for a basic 730 or full 830 system for 4 or 6 cylinders. Contact me at supercub180@gmail.com, Thanks, Aerodon

I doubt it - the alternators come without gears, its your mechanics responsibility to remove and refit - not the first time a mechanic has forgotten to put a nut on, or a cotter pin in. I'd document this really well, and look for that nut and cotter pin? I'd be telling the previous shop what has been found, give them the chance to assist. I'd also advise my insurers - this could get expensive. If there is a nut floating around in the engine, damage has already been done. You don't have to follow through with a claim, but adjustors are good at working out who's responsibility is what, Don

Plug n play with what? I'm at Oshkosh, and you the Garmin booths are crowded with lots of real nice products and autopilots that are likely to be delivered soon. They have modern servos and integrated displays (G5) at a price which is probably half of what the BK option was at the time your plane left the factory. On the other hand, the BK booth looks like it cost $500k to build, is empty, has a big deck upstairs for the fat cats to sit and watch the air show. Year after year they announce products which never reach the market, are overpriced and outdated by the time they do, and are very likely to become orphans in the years to come. Couple that with a repair policy that is ridiculously expensive. just compare the flat rate of say a Garmin SL30 with a KX155, or even worse a KX155A aerodon

I cross the border quite regularly. Going from Canada to the States from Vancouver, BC, I like to stop at KBLI, mainly to get customs over and done with. US Customs are not too friendly if you are early or late, and even less friendly if you divert, even if to another customs airport. Coming back, my customs stop is Abbotsford, just across the border. I don't even shut down, just call Customs if no-one is there to meet you. I have flown into Calgary International for day trips and used The Shell Aerocentre. To be honest I don't know where the customs apron is, but if it is a stop and go, I don't think it will be too painful. If it were me, I'd find a quieter first stop and then park at Springbank for the rest of your trip. Don

ill take it, thanks, Don

Looks like you are missing the oil press transducer?

This is a very nice low TT indicator out of a Cessna 172. Originally used to display GPS / ILS information from KLN89/KX155 combo. Its on the list of approved indicators for anyone doing a GTN650 / 750 installation. Photo's available - will look fine in a brand new panel. Aerodon supercub180@gmail.com

Some insurance companies are more aggressive than others, and sell everything without a dataplate. Others are more discriminating. A Super Cub can easily be repaired no matter how much the damage. A composite airplane - not so easy without proper information from the manufacturer, that is probably not available? If they scrap the plane and sell the wreck - they still have all the liability from those parts ending up in other planes? Personally, I want the insurance adjustors to make an informed call, and scrap planes that should be scrapped. And I don't think we need to be worried about a declining fleet yet - there are already too many planes vs. pilots? Aerodon

Except that BK chose the dealer service model many years ago, required the service centres to buy spares inventory and ridiculously priced breakout boxes, test harnesses, manuals etc. There might me something in their dealer agreement that allows termination. I suspect its more a way of terminating liability - I'm sure BK gets added to lawsuits all the time because their instruments were in planes that crashed. Now, you send stuff back, if its very old it gets red tag and destroyed, and you get to pay for the privilege. I had the experience with a KX165A, and it put me off ever buying a BK product again. Apollo GX50/55/60 displays fail and there is no stock. I contacted the OEM (of the display) and its $100k to tool up again for the same display and $100 per unit. So buy 1000 units, its only $200 each. Feasible for a large company to carry on supporting, but the bottom line is they've moved on and want you to move on. The guy I was discussing the display with just treated it like another computer display - why don't you just go buy a new computer? He did not understand that their $100 display went into a $3-5k GPS/Com, which cost another $3k to install, and would now cost $12k to replace. And in some cases its not all bad to replace an old GX50 with a GTN650/750 - you get a whole lot of new features and add at least a portion of that back to the plane value. Its my KFC200 autopilot I am most concerned about - at least it is compatible with aG500, so I don't need to worry about the KI525 and KI256 anymore. But what do you do when the processor goes bad? At least now Autopilots Central can try fix it for you, or replace with a serviceable unit for a semi reasonable price. What are they going to be able to do after July? I am not holding my breath for reasonable prices from Honeywell. Time to stock up on a replacement AP computer and servos for future 'self support'. The alignment still needs to be done in the field, but hopefully that is still allowed? Aerodon

Here's the problem. When you are large corporate entity serving military, airline and corporate aircraft: you have to provide high end reliable equipment and decent repair facilities. The customers have large revenue or service requirements and the cost of repairs are commensurate with the size of the organization. Now try to add 'general aviation' into that mix, the end users are often flying schools, small business owners, or individuals without the budget to fit into this cost structure. I know of one small shop that has an incredible array of spares, including switches, displays, meter movements, connectors etc. He paid $10's of thousands for this, and is one of the few shops around that has the capability to open up a radio, trouble shoot, replace components and IC's etc and get the customer going. He does not make a lot of money and most of his customers are just trying to get another cycle out of a comm, nav or transponder and avoid the cost of a new radio and install. Now his business is wiped out, and BK wants his stock back to boot? This applies to planes as well - Textron have jacked up the prices of replacement parts to insane levels on Cessna and Beech. I'm sure Aviall will do the same to Piper. Fortunately there are a lot of used parts on the market, and companies like MacFarlane who are doing a fine job with PMA'd replacements. This does not apply to Piper Super Cubs. You can buy ever single part from 2 or three different supplies at what I would call reasonable prices. These are relatively small privately owned companies that are making a good old fashioned 'honest living' - fair prices for good quality parts. I realize the world is changing, and a lot of the thinking is driven by the computer and electronics industry. Next years iPhone is going to be better than last years, at the same price. A 5 year old iPhone is almost redundant because the new ones are so much better. A ten year old phone, who has one? Service charges are high (the fixed price quote to fix my 5 year old iMac was about 50% of the price of a new one. So its an easy decision to start again. Its hard to accept this type of thinking with avionics. First, the cost is so much more. Then they cost a whole lot to install. And they become redundant / not serviced so much quicker. Some are easier to replace than others, But I sure am worried about my KFC200 autopilot. I think it was a $40,000 option on my 1980 Seneca, and is probably a $100,000 system in a new plane? So I can understand that the manufacturers think $5k or $10k for a flat rate repair on the main computer is reasonable. But these numbers do not fit into my budget / value of flying, and there is no easy replacement. Another nail. Aerodon

There are several that will work MD200, GI106, Collins 351, KI209A etc. But they are not going to be any less than a KI206. If you are re-wiring - may as well consider: KCS55A compass system, Sandel SN3308 etc. Aerodon

Hector, send me an email to supercub180@gmail.com. I can help with the missing transducers and wiring to turn your 730 into an 830. I can also help turn 700's into 830's, 830's into 900's etc. Magic - just takes money. Aerodon.

I have not had good experience with Prop guard - it fails in rain and ice. And you would not want to complicate this repainting situation, something definitely not right. Aerodon

Yes, I have a couple of complete systems on the shelf: 1 new 'old stock' unit 1 used system I'll make sure you get all the parts needed for installation, correct length antenna wire etc. and will exchange any component that doesn't work. Aerodon - supercub180@gmail.com

We had a prop strike at full power that dinged 1/2" off all three blades on a TSIO360. Engine had 77 SMOH, so had been recently inspected. I insisted on teardown, and the crank was cracked in three places. A friend bought a low time TSIO550 that had an off airport landing with no power. Prop condition was unknown, so we had a teardown done - crank was x-rayed or magna fluxed, no problems. Cost was about $6000 for the basic teardown and reassembly. But additional items found jacked the bill up to $11,000. Excludes shipping and installation. Once you have opened up an insurance claim, push for all the work you can get done. Otherwise, how are you ever going to feel comfortable flying at night, water and even selling the plane down the road? Don

Thats not a fair comparison - the earlier engines had a front to back induction system resulting in more fuel to the middle cylinders and the most to the rear cylinders to to 'spillover' from the continuous injectors. 100% demonstrable and repeatable. The later engines have the spider intakes, which distribute air and fuel very evenly. Do the gami test and see if you need fine tuning. Continental engineers acknowledged after the fact that they spent millions developing the newer intake, and the results are very comparable to Gami's mod. The thinking at the time was that you needed to balance the airflow to balance the fuel. Gami was brilliant in recognizing that the airflow is pretty balanced already but the fuel was not. Don

I have experience of a Garmin radio sent back for repair, only to come back as 'beyond economic repair'. I believe this was because of mechanical damage (not crash damage), to the retaining clip, and it was just too much work to change the box out. So, I would be extra cautious of 'crash damaged' goods and expecting a flat rate repair. Aerodon

Not cool to pee on someone else parade.

Mike, Thanks for your post, but welcome to Africa. I've flown myself to Okavango a couple of times, and your African adventure sure brings back memories. In 1992 my new wife and I flew from Johannesburg, Maun, Okavango, Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Lake Malawi and back in our Seminole. Somewhere I have a picture of our Seminole parked under a tree in the Okavango and another one of lions teethmarks on the nosecone. Nothing like walking back to the plane and seeing lion footprints on your footprints from the night before, and not having a gun handy.. On my flight into Okavango, the guide called me up on a handheld radio and asked if I really wanted to land. I asked about the surface hardness and proceeded. First approach didn't look good, second one was fine, crossed the water on the threshold and touched down in the first 50 feet. Only just managed to stop before the embankment on the other side. My knees were shaking and I just did not understand what I did wrong. The guide congratulated me, and told me I was the second twin to have ever landed there. The first one crashed off the end of the runway, so he was suitably impressed. The chart showed the runway at 2500'. I paced it out and it was 1500'. I moved to Canada 25 years ago and had to redo my commercial ride - got the highest score all year at Pacific Flying Club. There was nothing wrong with the training then, nor is it now, I still see pilots from that region going on to get FAA ATPL's and JAR ATPL's and flying all over the world. The newspaper article you posted shows exactly what is going on. In the USA and Canada we try support First Nations owned or operated companies, minority owned companies, gender owner companies etc. In Africa the terminology is different - previously disadvantaged persons, BEE's etc. For sure your operator was forced to employ certain persons, or face not getting an operating licence, government contracts etc. A goal that I do support, but it has become so corrupted that I do not hold out much hope for it succeeding. Count yourself lucky that you got a co-pilot to go along. As to your second flight - I'm not even going to try defend the pilot, other than to say that if he is still flying a GA8 with 2700 hours, there's a reason why..... Generally its a much quicker revolving door - Okavango and GA8's are very much an entry level position and if you demonstrate enthusiasm and competence you are quickly going to find yourself in a Caravan, King Air or better. I know the training and hiring intentions are good, but there are some fundamental obstacles to be overcome. I remember reading that it takes three generations to learn to operate an aircraft carrier. Its not to say that only the grandson of a fleet captain can become a fleet captain. It's more that the whole training and operations environment in a highly technical business has to be in place and refined over many many years in order to succeed. Although if you look at politics, it seems as though family heritage plays an important part. Countries around the world are trying to play catchup to the first world, with varying degrees of success. And there are huge cultural issues that get drawn in whether you like it or not. The local airfields are filled with Chinese and Indian flying schools. They are taking guys and (maybe some girls) out of high school and placing them in fully paid for training courses, and then on into RHS of Airbus and 737's with less than 300 hours. The USA and Canada are the opposite - we expect pilots to pay for all their training, then work for peanuts, then get 1500 hours in decent equipment, then maybe a better job. Not a good situation either way. Now, maybe I'm a little over sensitive - but there was no need to identify gender or race in your post. All you are doing is perpetuating racism. The end goal is to hire pilots (and others) without having to identify ethnicity or gender. Unfortunately the world is not exactly succeeding at present is it. Regards, Aerodon

AA, I've been working with another M20C owner to make a RHS panel to accept an EDM930. I have a CNC machine and can make any shape per your and your IA requests (owner produced part). I've made two versions so far for the M20C - one has the 'dropdown' for the OEM gauges. This is for where owners retain the OEM gauges and install an EDM830 above it. The other is 'straight across', so the panel looks better - one continuous line from the LHS all the way across. A blanking plate is installed and can be used for a few more circuit breakers. Then the overlay panel is installed to replace the plastic and mount the EDM900 or 930. Aerodon supercub180@gmail.com

Almost all of my planes have been in partnerships, and I had a 20% share in a Seneca which cost me less than my friends wholly owned C172 - including all the fuel and maintenance. 5 partners sound a lot, but all it takes is one who is relatively inactive, two business flyers, two weekend warriors and the booking conflicts are really low. The plane flew 150-200 hours per year, so all the maintenance including the annual was treated as a variable cost. The fixed costs are divided equally - you are paying to have a plane standing in the hangar ready to use, whether you use it or not. There is an argument that the annual inspection should be in the fixed cost too. Splitting maintenance pro-rata to the hours in a year can be very unfair. All it takes are for any one of the following to happen: magneto failure, vacuum pump, starter, top overhaul, autopilot repair, gear overhaul and then the hourly charge is ridiculous. I buy into the argument that a plane not flying requires as much maintenance as a plane flying 200 hours a year. So the guy flying a lot is not really causing more maintenance than the guy not flying. We charged ourselves a 'commercial rate' for tax and business reasons. There are occasions when pilots can be reimbursed for travel expenses, and its much easier to pass on an invoice for $xx for 'aircraft use' in the same way as you would present an invoice for 'car use' or an airline ticket. Aerodon