DonMuncy

My K has clips and did not require drilling, but they did have to be trimmed to fit. I probably spent 2 1/2 days doing the 4 windows, but I work terribly slowly.

In my experience, it takes many, many, many satisfied customers to overcome the negative from one dissatisfied customer. I try to bear that in mind as I read people's complaints against any business. And I really try to be careful when I report a bad experience with a business.

Isn't there some Texas law that makes it illegal to go to Cowboy Steakhouse and not eat steak.

My post was not well worded. I am aware that registration is required, but it would seem to be a lot better enforced, if the sellers of the drones were required to report the identification of persons buying them. The FAA does not seem to have any trouble making requirements of aircraft owners.

I think the fatality risk of drones is fairly low, but I am virtually certain that damage to aircraft is going to happen, and the risk is likely growing with (my assumption of) increased drone activity. With the power of the FAA of all things air related, it would seem to me there would regulations in effect to require (1) traceable serial numbers on all drones sold and required registration. and (2) requiring manufacturers of drones to provide instrumentation to prevent flight above specified altitudes.

On my 82 231 the voltage regulator is over the copilot's feet.

Parker is a straight shooter, and a nice guy.

Drop by my hangar.

Also interesting. If an A&P sees something wrong while working on something else, it is my impression he has no obligation other than to document what he did to what he was working on. But I'm understanding from your post that, as an IA, he has an obligation to report unairworthiness. I suppose that this is because an IA really doesn't "work" on anything; he only inspects. So if one lets his plane be taken to an IA for a PPI, under the last paragraph you quoted, if he finds an airworthiness condition he must note it in the maintenance records. Or does that paragraph only apply to inspections required by the regs, like annuals or 100 hours. Maybe that is why Mike Busch prefers not to call a pre-purchase , an "inspection". I'm not sure that I, as a seller would want someone taking my plane to someone who might be obligated to write in my maintenance records that he found my plane in an unairworthy condition. I suppose you could not give them your logbook and just not include his notation in his records. But that likely might subject you to some problems for not maintaining proper records. Do you tell the potential buyer that he can have an A&P look at your plane, but not an IA? (Or really, an IA can look at it, just not with is IA hat on.)

Clarence, I find this topic very interesting. I like the idea that it could only be a "legal annual" at the sign off. I suppose one could take his plane in and say "check everything on the annual inspection list, and if it passes, make it an annual inspection. If not, I will pay you for your time and decide what I want to do". Then you could legally fly the plane wherever you wish (presuming you were still within the year for the last annual). Naturally, if something went wrong, and the FAA found out what you had done, they could violate you under the "reckless" aspect, if the IA had told you there was a defect of some kind.

Don't want to quibble too much Clarence, but in the US, an annual is a special thing with a specific set of rules. Once an "Annual Inspection" has begun, you can't stop midstream. It must be completed and signed off as airworthy or signed off with a list of discrepancies being delivered to the owner. If the latter, it can not (legally) be flown again until the discrepancies have been resolved by an A&P, or a ferry permit obtained to take it to "fix" the discrepancies. Granted, this is the legalities of the situation, and if the IA would suddenly remember he hadn't been asked to do an annual, I suppose he could stop and button it up again. There is no legal definition of an PPI, so anything agreed to between the shop/AI/A&P will work.

I may as well stir the hornet's nest a little. In my opinion, I would never want an annual in lieu of a pre-purchase inspection. Having a pre-purchase that can be rolled over to an annual once the decision is made to definitely buy, is a different story. But I would not blindly accept an annual done on the existing owner's dime (unless it had been done by one of the 4 or 5 top Mooney gurus), and the present owner would be foolish to allow an annual to be started unless he was in control of it. My preference, if I were buying, would be to have carefully crafted, "done in steps" pre-purchase inspection. That is, prioritize the things to look at, and cancel the remainder if a deal breaker is discovered. I would want a complete corrosion inspection, and if nothing found, inspect the engine; borescope etc., then on down through the most expensive items to repair. Once all the deal breaking matters are OK, then finalize the sale and flip it to an annual if desired.

Get out the pitchforks and torches.

Bob Kromer (former president and former production test pilot for Mooney) says they had a torque measuring device installed between the engine and the prop, and found that below some manifold pressure (14 if I'm remembering correctly), the prop would drive the engine, rather than the engine furnishing thrust.

My hangar elf built one for each side because both mine were broken from unknown causes, at different times.