----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----I'm totally in favor of the owner maintenance program up in Canada.
50 years of flying is NOT proof enough to me that an airplane is airworthy.
Metal fatigue, degradation and corrosion rapidly take their toll and
increases as the aircraft gets older.
In the US in order to obtain a repairman's certificate to work on your
exp. aircraft (and only yours) you must first demonstrate your knowledge and
ability. This kind of policy on our older & different certified aircraft will
really benefit us in the future even more so than now. With so many of the A&
P I/A mechanics heading to the airlines or coming from the military ... how
well suited are they going to be to work on our 1946 piston airplanes? 10
years from now? how about 20? As our Ercoupes get older, there will be less
and less of them, and even less mechanics.
So to say that an Owner Maintenance program is "scary" I think is very
shortsighted. An Ercoupe owner/mechanic need not know about wood spars or jet
engines. They don't need to understand retractable landing gear or hydraulic
systems. They only need to fully understand one airplane... Theirs. If you do
not feel comfortable or qualified then *fine* continue on as before, but
understand there are some that are able to make this work and plan to still
be flying them in 40 years.
As for resale ... one of the reasons the experimental a/c are so
appealing is due to the reduced cost of ownership. Picture this --> 1946
Ercoupe, 500 hrs SMOH, wings recovered 2/04, new paint and upholstery,
qualifies for the owner maintenance program.
Sounds great to me,
Andy ~
--------------------------------- to unsubscribe send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01
