A64Pilot

Mechanics ARE limited, you are only allowed to work on what you have been trained for, and an A&P should self limit. I doubt many schools teach helicopters, or sadly wood and fabric anymore, and trust me modern composites are an entirely new “science” if you will, it’s a completely different animal that most older A&P’s should stay away from. Being ex Military I was exposed to composites, enough to realize how much I don’t know anyway. Mechanics are also only very lightly taught NDI, I was NDI level 3 at one point and can attest to that. Think about it, an A&P is HUGELY broad, it’s almost as if your PPL gave you the privilege to fly any existing aircraft, from a 1920,s wood and fabric tail dragger to a modern plastic pressurized turbine. So it is the A&P’s responsibility to know when to not work on an aircraft, for instance I’m allowed to do fabric, but don’t, I push that to the experts, same in all honestly with sheet metal. Last job I had an absolute sheet metal artist, he had no Certification, but with him around, why would I do sheet metal? So whether they realize it or not, but A&P’s self specialize, most of us of course see and know one that specialize in piston single engine land, but there are helicopter A&P’s and others that mostly do engine work etc. Way more than any other FAA license I’m familiar with the A&P is a license to learn, it doesn’t indicate an expert, that comes or not after years of experience. Way more often than not there are many un-certified people that are experts in one field that A&P’s should lean on and use. Welders for example, sure an A&P can legally weld, but compared to someone who Tigs every day for a living the average A&P is a hack at best. Saw a engine mount that had been reinforced IAW an STC the other day that I wouldn’t put on a airplane for example. I briefly worked as a contract oil field welder before the Army so I at least know what a good weld is supposed to look like. A good A&P knows their limitations, so when one says I can’t do this or that, be glad you have one that understands that maybe they are not a mechanics God, but they should be able to point you to an expert in that field. A&P’s are limited, for example except for minor things we aren’t allowed to touch a prop and it takes an IA to overhaul a supercharged or geared engine. In all honestly Turbines are simple things, a 100 yr old supercharged, geared Radial is not.

I stood up a Repair Station. I asked my Inspector why we issued Repairman Certificates, they weren’t good for anything, couldn’t be used outside of the Repair Station etc. and we didn’t do anything like that for the factory, of course the FSDO had zero authority over the factory, factory was MIDO’s concern. He gave me an honest answer, without the Cert he, meaning the FAA had no jurisdiction over them, so we issued Certs so that the FAA could if needed enforce their rules on the individual. Same person working in the factory, the FAA had no jurisdiction on them personally, they did the factory of course, but not the individual. All of my Repairmen also worked in the factory and I brought them ove to the Repair Station as needed. He went on to further explain that if he found a person flying an aircraft that had never as a min gotten their Student Pilot cert, that he couldn’t do anything, and if that ever happened they were told to call the local Sheriff who could he guessed write a ticket for operating a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner. I didn’t ask but assumed that maybe that had happened with Ultralights? But whether or not they had a Repairman’s Cert or not the FAA wanted a job book kept if a person wanted to test for A&P, a sort of mechanics logbook with tasks and dates, that would show experience. Being able to show a book that had many tasks of both engine and airframe is a compelling argument.

The intent of the OJT route is “in my opinion” to allow those with Military experience and those who have worked full time for a few years under the supervision of a Certified mechanic to become Certified. It’s a progression very similar to other trades in becoming a Journeyman Pipefitter, Welder, Machinist etc. I think it’s going to be tough to go that route if your experience is working on your own aircraft and your intent is to do your own Annuals. I would suggest if that’s your intent that you don’t state that at the interview. FSDO’s at least in theory have surveillance on each IA and A&P and they don’t want large numbers of IA’s and A&P’s who aren’t Professionals as in do the job daily for a living. The Regulation plainly states that you can renew your IA if you attend 8 hours of approved and documented training per year, but I’ve had one at least refuse to renew me on the basis that if I didn’t do x number of major alterations or repairs or four Annuals or one Progressive per year that I wasn’t actively engaged, because they don’t want part time IA’s or A&P’s for that matter, although an A&P is like a pilots certificate in that you hold it forever. Have an A&P for two years I believe and you can apply for your IA and of course IA is the logical progression for someone wanting to do their own work, because then they can do their own Annuals and approve Major repairs and Major Alterations. For most Aircraft Maintenance is a Profession and many Professionals take a dim view of anyone trying to certify in their Profession as a hobby. Having said that, every inspector is different and they all have different opinions. If you can become friends with one it’s not uncommon for them to assist you.

Understood, but any turbo adds a significant amount of temp to the oil. Before I started modifying the aircraft I’d first ensure I had a problem. Yes I know up in the Great White North it’s been common practice forever to block off cooler airflow to get oil temps up to normal. I live in Florida, and my J oil temp runs the bottom of the green in Florida temps, in a hard climb with cyl head temps higher than I like the oil temp still isn’t halfway. I know you don’t have a J, but would think if I were up there with you my oil temp would be low too. What we need of course is an oil cooler cowl flap, I would have expected an STC’d one by now, but I guess people are happy with tape and block off plates. Usually as a general statement the factory oil temp sender is located after the oil cooler and any aftermarket indicator uses it’s own sensor often located in the oil galley on the block, but still after the cooler and before the turbo and often the aftermarket temp will run higher than factory, but it should show a different temp, if not I’d be suspicious. The testing is as simple as putting the tip of the sensor in boiling water. I had one customer that spent thousands of dollars on an oil temp problem on his turbine, and I went out to help and found it was just a sensor error. I knew when I turned on the battery on a cold engine and his oil temp was 60C or something similar. If both of your instruments use one sensor, it’s possible. I think if I were you I’d have the oil analyzed at oil change to determine moisture content, if it’s high then I’d proceed with tape etc to raise it. I’m not normally a big fan of oil analysis as people try to use it as an engine analysis, but for determining the condition of the oil it’s an exceptional tool as that’s in its name of course.

Lycoming’s take on oil temp, bottom line is oil at its hottest point is significantly hotter than indicated, if moisture is building up it will turn the oil milky. Yes I know you don’t have a Lycoming, but I don’t have a Conti slide ‘You may not have a problem, especially if your OCI is 25 hours In order to detect lower levels of moisture, either the crackle test or have it analyzed for moisture, I’ve never had it analyzed. I believe if it’s not turning milky at all, the level of moisture isn’t a concern. My J also runs low as in bottom of the green temp

People say the same thing about sailboats and it doesn’t make sense there either. Using that formula, buy an old ramp tramp, because 10% of $10,000 is a lot less than 10% of $250,000. Having said that if you can afford to spend %10 in the first year your more than likely going to be OK, where the guy who spent all their money on the purchase is likely to be in a bind. If you have the capability and knowledge to do an assisted Annual, then I’d suggest that. A pre-buy has no legal definition, no min checklist that must be followed, an Annual does, admittedly some IA’s are more picky than others, but with an Annual your getting an IA and a legally required min inspection. A pre-buy can be anything.

I got my permission to test based on my Military MOS as an OH-58 helicopter mechanic. ‘Ref the written tests, I’ve taken many and the best way in my opinion is to take the study guides and ideally have someone else mark out the incorrect answers so they can’t be read. That way on test day the answer you remember seeing is the correct one, if you have seen the incorrect ones you may go for one.

One day I may actually look at a compass to determine heading, but a whole lot of things have gone bad before I do. Yeah I know you have to have one, but does anyone actually use the thing?

It’s actually very common, tightening up the turn by stepping on the pedals has killed many an Airtractor pilot. Many stall / spins on the turn to final are likely due to stepping on the pedals to tighten the turn, it’s sort of instinctual, something you have to ensure you don’t do if maneuvering a lot, like Ag application flights. Some aircraft handle it better than others, on a Maule the Autopilot controls heading by using the rudder, it’s not connected to the Ailerons. Maule isn’t the only aircraft like that, but I can’t list others. I’m 90% sure why it’s taught by some for minor corrections because an aircraft put into a bank by ailerons will maintain that bank (neutral stability) but once pressure is relaxed on the rudder the airplane will return to wings level (assuming only a slight turn is induced). ‘I’m not recommending it, just explaining its not as uncommon as you would think.

In order to get to the gascolator it of course has to slosh around enough to get into the fuel pick up, the pick up is not at the lowest point or we wouldn’t have unusable fuel. The wing drains should be at the lowest point of the wings. Why the POH says drain each wing with the gascolator confuses me, not arguing against the POH, if it says something by all means comply, just confuses me. In 40 years I’ve only gotten water in one airplane and it, in one wing and then only if it was left outside. A Cessna 210 with a bad fuel cap O-ring which got water if it rained. I think water should be an extremely unusual find and if you find it, the reason should be determined and fixed, too often I hear people finding it and not being concerned, but only a few ounces will take down an airplane just as sure as a broken crankshaft. By the way, on that 210, I could drain the tank, get no water and then shake the wings up and down and then get quite a bit of water. So if you get water I recommend rocking the wings good and see if you got ALL of the water.

Ref the A&P manufacturing an OPP. An A&P unless they are the owner CANNOT manufacture an OPP from a legal perspective. The owner is the manufacturer, even if they didn’t build anything. As with everything in the FAA, it’s the paperwork trail that matters, not what really goes on, you have to give them plausible deniability, and at the inspector level, most things are their opinion, and ask three and you will get three different opinions. It’s just like building your own airplane, you can have A&P’s or others assist you, but you are the manufacturer. I’m sure we and the FAA know that a great many “Experimental” airplanes are built without the owner really building 51% themselves. Saw what looked like a Lancair IVP with a P&W 750HP turbine the other day, it wasn’t a Lancair, but looked similar, but does anyone really think the Dr or whoever owned it really built that thing as his first ever airplane build?

I know it’s a sensitive subject, but what’s stopping an owner from taking one to a local machine shop and asking them to duplicate it? If one wanted to get really anal, take a chunk of the proper material, I assume 6061 T6? IF you have a worn lock, there is nothing keeping you from replacing it with a new one. I’ve never really inspected one but doubt it’s a very difficult part to duplicate. With what PMA parts often cost it may even be less expensive to have a one off part manufactured. I bring this up in case someone is flying with a worn one and thinks they can’t get it replaced.

Replace the grommet to fix the sharp edges, it’s very easy simply get the right size and cut it and install it, to install without cutting is labor intensive and not in my opinion worth doing. People miss things, a “perfect” Annual most of us couldn’t afford. According to Lycoming intermittent missing in flight could be a sticking valve, not all sticking valves manifest as morning sickness. However with recently overhauled mags, I’d suspect them. Starting with a point gap check is in my opinion a likely problem and very easy to inspect and eliminate. I like to start with the inexpensive, easy problems and eliminate them first. But once you eliminate the ignition system as a possibility if that doesn’t fix it, I think I’d look at the valves in that one cylinder, most likely the exh valve of course.

Attached SAIB for I believe all Mooney’s, except fixed gear of course https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/DRSDOCID169699427420230306144536.0001?modalOpened=true

Unless I’m mistaken anyone with a PMA can build anyone’s parts. Univair etc don’t have to get permission to build all those Cessna and Piper parts that are identical and interchangeable with the OEM parts, even internal engine parts. Univair could produce and sell this duct if they wanted to. You can even buy internal engine parts for your Lycoming or Continental, from other suppliers of course. The exception I think is if the part has an AD on it, but a little fuzzy on that. Drawings are the property of the manufacturer, so while a PMA holder can produce the part I believe they have to have their own drawing, which doesn’t have to differ from the original. Manufactures of contract parts are often under contract to only supply parts to the contractor though, so when we had a Boeing contract, we couldn’t build extra’s and sell them ourselves. Many parts are built by non PMA holders but bought by a manufacturer who inducts the part through their Quality control system it then becomes an aircraft part, our engine and prop cables were actually boat control cables for example. So Mooney could have anyone make that duct and buy it and inspect it and it then becomes a Mooney part