Do A&P's fly what they work on?

[Mcstealth]

I guess it doesn't take much brain power to figure out that one can't fly what one is not rated in, but just generally speaking.......

[carusoam]

Let’s expand on the question a bit…..

David, see of I have this right…?

 

A mechanic may work on dozens of different aircraft in a week…. And may want to take them out for a test flight after the work has been completed…

What is the secret to being able to fly that many different aircraft?  
 

Same question probably applies to CFIs…

90%…. There is a lot of magic in how the ASI is laid out… what all the markings mean…

10%….  There is a lot of magic in the experience an individual has….

PP thoughts only, only guessing what David has in mind… 

Best regards,

-a-

[takair]

I ran an avionics shop before I transitioned to a bigger company and a more engineering-centric job.  The best part of the job was test flying after an install or to troubleshoot a problem.  Money wasn’t great, but I didn’t know how good I had it.  I got to fly a wide variety of aircraft.  If I wasn’t comfortable, I would hire a CFI to go with me.  Some of the most memorable were MU-2s and TBMs.  I’ll admit to one or two that I wouldn’t fly, not because of our work, but because of the work we didn’t do,  That said, many of my technicians and the mechanics in the shop were reluctant to fly.  I don’t think it was because they didn’t trust their work, they just didn’t enjoy it flying as much as I did.  My favorite line was, “I wish I liked to fly as much as you do”.  

[Ned Gravel]

Mine does.

[Jocbay]

1 hour ago, carusoam said:

A mechanic may work on dozens of different aircraft in a week…

Wow, that’s a lot of wrench swinging there!

[EricJ]

52 minutes ago, Ned Gravel said:

Mine does.

Mine, too! 
 

 

[carusoam]

20 minutes ago, Jocbay said:

Wow, that’s a lot of wrench swinging there!

He’s a really busy guy… 

And puts in a ton of hours…

-a-

[Unit74]

My IA will fly with me post MX without reservation.  I told him that if he won’t test fly it with me, the job is not done. I consider it a checks and balance because he has skin in the game. 

[Hank]

I've had some that did. I had one for four years who wasn't a pilot . . .

[eman1200]

I’m not an A&P but I did replace a screw today in my sun visor and felt obligated to take it for a test flight.

[Unit74]

1 hour ago, eman1200 said:

I’m not an A&P but I did replace a screw today in my sun visor and felt obligated to take it for a test flight.

Some people will do anything for good coleslaw I suppose.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Unit74

[GeeBee]

Mine flies with me after maintenance.

 

[Ron McBride]

Many years ago we completed an annual and panel upgrade.

Saturday flight airplane was good, radios no.

Sunday flight had an engine failure above gmc, just below rotation.  All ok, radio techs shorts needed changing.  
 

You never know.    Radios were good after a cylinder was replaced. 
 

[A64Pilot]

Some will, some won’t, some can’t.

Insurence would be what would stop me, I’d have to be real sure that your insurence would cover me.

Military world I would take the Phase team leader with me as a “Technical Observer” on a post phase test flight. A Phase inspection is pretty much an annual.

[RobertGary1]

Can’t imagine what insurance would cover a mechanic to fly just anything even stuff they don’t have time in. Even when I used msc’s for maintenance on the rare occasion they had to test fly it they hired (at my expense) a cfi. 

[Mcstealth]

13 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Some will, some won’t, some can’t.

Insurence would be what would stop me, I’d have to be real sure that your insurence would cover me.

Military world I would take the Phase team leader with me as a “Technical Observer” on a post phase test flight. A Phase inspection is pretty much an annual.

And that was my next question. How does insurance work for mechanics?

[Mcstealth]

9 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

Can’t imagine what insurance would cover a mechanic to fly just anything even stuff they don’t have time in. Even when I used msc’s for maintenance on the rare occasion they had to test fly it they hired (at my expense) a cfi. 

That was exactly my next question. 

[Unit74]

1 minute ago, Mcstealth said:

That was exactly my next question. 

 

9 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

Can’t imagine what insurance would cover a mechanic to fly just anything even stuff they don’t have time in. Even when I used msc’s for maintenance on the rare occasion they had to test fly it they hired (at my expense) a cfi. 

All depends on the Open Pilot Warranty.

 

My IA has over 1k hours, multi-Inst rated and does not meet my OPW for a Piper Lance. I spoke with my broker and basically, I would have to put him on the insurance and the rate would go up substantially. He owns a Twinky and an Arrow. Go figure.....   So I fly with him, as the juice is not worth the squeeze.

[jetdriven]

13 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

Can’t imagine what insurance would cover a mechanic to fly just anything even stuff they don’t have time in. Even when I used msc’s for maintenance on the rare occasion they had to test fly it they hired (at my expense) a cfi. 

Don’t see much how in hiring a Cfi who has low time in type is any better flying than a qualified mechanic with a pilots license who has low time in time.  At least the shop is, or they should be insured if you want that operation. I doubt your local Cfi is.  
I inquired about non-owned insurance for my shop and it was a lot.  Around 5k a year.  

Edited October 24, 2021 by jetdriven

[Mcstealth]

@Parker_Woodruff

Maybe PW can add some insight? Is there some kind of A&P insurance like students and non-owners can get renters insurance? Can the business add some kind of coverage for flying the repairs?

[RobertGary1]

26 minutes ago, Mcstealth said:

@Parker_Woodruff

Maybe PW can add some insight? Is there some kind of A&P insurance like students and non-owners can get renters insurance? Can the business add some kind of coverage for flying the repairs?

And specifically does that make the insurance  requirement low enough that relationally a mechanic would fly whatever he works on 

[RobertGary1]

4 hours ago, jetdriven said:

Don’t see much how in hiring a Cfi who has low time in type is any better flying than a qualified mechanic with a pilots license who has low time in time.  At least the shop is, or they should be insured if you want that operation. I doubt your local Cfi is.  
I inquired about non-owned insurance for my shop and it was a lot.  Around 5k a year.  

They pick and choose the cfi based on the aircraft. If it’s a citation they’re going to use a cfi that has a lot of citation time. 
i think most of us carry liability and hull as instructors. 

[philiplane]

21 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

Can’t imagine what insurance would cover a mechanic to fly just anything even stuff they don’t have time in. Even when I used msc’s for maintenance on the rare occasion they had to test fly it they hired (at my expense) a cfi. 

In my own experience, our maintenance facility insurance covers any employee with a commercial pilot certificate in any aircraft he is rated for, for the purpose of post-maintenance test flights.

[Shadrach]

21 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

Can’t imagine what insurance would cover a mechanic to fly just anything even stuff they don’t have time in. Even when I used msc’s for maintenance on the rare occasion they had to test fly it they hired (at my expense) a cfi. 

Interesting. We had a repair stations on my field that did a lot of salvage work in addition to mx.  They would ferry just about anything home after making it airworthy in the field for permit if needed… doing a post mx ops check flight was not uncommon.

[Minivation]

I am my own A&P

Most pilot-rated mechanics I know (including myself) are usually OK flying types that they personally have experience in. I myself am rated ASEL, ASES, and AMEL, but I'll only offer to fly the types I have a full checkout in (i.e. I know the full range of the flight envelope and how it feels) if the customer really needs me to fly it. Recently I flew a Cherokee 140 from SC to VA for avionics work because the customer, a new owner of the plane, didn't have the time to do it himself.

Even for Mooneys, I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable flying someone else's Mooney purely because the 201 I flew is one heck of an oddball (Mod Works Continental IO-360 conversion with composite panel and a encyclopedia-worth of speed STC's) compared to a standard J model.