does your mechanic test fly your airplane after annual?

[47U]

2 hours ago, Pinecone said:

Last step before releasing the aircraft is to open EVERY drawer and visually confirm that every cutout has a tool.

They even count the shop rags… commercial rags uniform in size and color so the knuckle-draggers won’t tear one in half if they‘re missing one (I can call them that because I was one).  Better that than being a ‘grinner,’ though.

[SKI]

I do most of the annual on my Cherokee. My I/A showed me what he wanted checked the first year and I made a checklist. I methodically go through that checklist and don't cross anything off until that item is totally completed. One line item at a time started and completed. Not half of this line item and half of that line item. My I/A comes when I've done all my stuff, Checks my work, Checks the plane over himself and we do the compression check together. I do a thorough pre maintenance run up and post maintenace run up along with a SOLO flight. At that point I'm satisfied everything is ok and I'll return the plane to service. If the day comes that I can't do owner assisted maintenace that's the day the plane gets a for sale sign on it.  I feel it's important that us as owner/pilots have at least a basic understanding of how our machines work. They do hurl us through the air miles above the ground after all.

[Hank]

7 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

They are so reliable that there has never been one person left up there that I’m aware of!

That's a lot more than the Navy can say . . . .

[Pinecone]

21 hours ago, Will.iam said:

Same requirement for dropped pen or pencil you find it or the aircraft is grounded until you do. Commercial aviation not so much, as i have gone down pass the rudder pedals to get a pen only to find way more of them including water bottles rags sunglasses and a mag flashlight. 

Yeap, if if they can't find it looking around, they Xray the plane.

I lost a Cross pen in an AT-38B.  I am positive the crew chief saw it and grabbed it, but aircraft ended up being xrayed.

[M20F]

Lost a beautiful AC560 that was getting King Air brake conversion.  The mechanic did a high speed taxi just fast enough to stretch the gear bungees with the handle up.  
 
As a sign to how well they were built the purchaser brought a hammer and banged out the prop blades and flew out.  Probably not my style but impressive. 

[Caz]

I'm not an IA nor do I pretend to know more than I actually do but, someone needs to explain to me how you can sign off an annual without doing a runup.  You have no idea if the engine will produce the expected (required) power without doing one.  Therefore, you cannot say it is airworthy because you in fact have no idea if it is airworthy.  Nor can you figure out if you have any new undetected leaks.  Take those statements for what they are indeed worth.  Barely the air needed to utter them.

[EricJ]

13 hours ago, Caz said:

I'm not an IA nor do I pretend to know more than I actually do but, someone needs to explain to me how you can sign off an annual without doing a runup.  You have no idea if the engine will produce the expected (required) power without doing one.  Therefore, you cannot say it is airworthy because you in fact have no idea if it is airworthy.  Nor can you figure out if you have any new undetected leaks.  Take those statements for what they are indeed worth.  Barely the air needed to utter them.

FAR 43 Appendix D outlines the Scope and Detail of what makes up an Annual or 100-hour inspection.    This is the legal requirement of what makes up the inspection.    No runup is included.   It is not required.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/appendix-D_to_part_43

[Bartman]

I actively participate in getting parts and supplies and turning wrenches for my annual inspection.  My IA is a Beech pilot with no Mooney experience and he has offered to fly right seat.  I insist on installing all access panels and the cowl so this allows me to confirm no misplaced items are left behind, everything is tight and safety wired, and no leaks.  Never a problem.

One day after avionics work at another field I allowed someone else to fly my airplane after maintenance two times....the first time and the last time.  The pilot was well qualified with thousands of hours flying hundreds of planes and met my insurance requirement for Mooney time.  When I came to pick her up, he was telling me about how hard it was to land and bounce on the landing.  Immediately we inspected the propeller and all was well, but it illustrates to me exactly why I should not allow someone else to fly my plane.  Don Maxwell or someone like that I would not hesitate.  Otherwise, they can sit in the right seat, but nobody else is flying my airplane after maintenance.