----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
I think the issue is wider than this, the law and regulations are there to
protect us all not just the current owner of a Coupe, we recently did the
on-line survey about our ages and the sad truth is that we are as a group
about as old as our aircraft and worse yet most of our Coupes will out
last
many of us. This means in most cases that we must sell our Coupe to the
next guy and he has the right to expect that for the last sixty plus years
the maintenance and modifications that have been done were all done to a
very high standard so that he can safely fly the Coupe by only having the
next annual inspection done and complying with any new AD's.
I like this concept very much and think this is a very good reason for all
Coupes to be maintained correctly in accordance with the regulations so
that when some fine young eagle who gets a ride from one of us and is bit
by the flying bug may one day when he or she can afford it purchase a
Coupe
and enjoy it as much as many of us do with out having to have it restored
from the ground up to be sure that we did not do any funny maintenance
that
may kill them.
I have a Coupe now that will have to have the tail cone replaced because
someone thought that they could do a repair on it that is not very sound
and is not documented, it does come complete with several pounds of bondo
and it will need to be replaced before I will fly it. I do not know who
did
the poor work but I do think of it as a fraud and would like to have
several hours to use a cattle prod on the person responsible.
Best regards,
Vern
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
.com
To
05/14/2005 02:10 [email protected]
PM cc
Subject
Please respond to Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Paperwork
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
.com
----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any
advice in this forum.]----
I'm not sure if the subject of my part of this discussion is good and bad
mods or ones that make sense and ones that don't. I'm pointing toward the
legalities of doing certain things, the modifications and the methods used
to accomplish them. The clock/spar? It reminds me of the same thing, the
"clock" example being one side of the fence that is as far away from the
spar example as you can get, but a fraud - sorry, no! My point is that
what
is written as law, is law and it is done so for a reason. Do I agree with
it? Well, most of the time, but the other most of the time I wonder why
we
must sit amidst 1940's technology with no apparent light at the end of the
tunnel. I'm not an engineer, nor have I recently stayed in a Holiday Inn,
so I don't think I'm qualified enough to make a decision whether to use a
bolt from Home Depot or cut a hole in a part of the airplane that was
designed to be structure in a manner that contradicts actual professional
common practices. At this point in time I do not have the authority to
determine whether or not a particular FAA ruling applies to everyone else
but me. Perhaps old Saddam can get away with interpreting the laws the
way
he sees fit, but even then it caught up to him. And yes, if the speed
limit
in a school zone is 25 mph, at 26 mph you're in violation. Will you get a
ticket? Probably not, but I know most sensible people will agree with me
when I say that if you do receive a ticket, it is not a "fraud".
Rules and regs are written for a reason. We're lucky enough to live in a
country where we can attempt to change them if we like. Until they're
changed, you must respect them and try to understand why they're in place.
As far as those laws are concerned, installation of a clock without the
proper paperwork is the same as a spar splice without any paperwork. In
real life if either fail, one can get you killed, the other in a bit of
trouble with the wife, which may be worse.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Q. Steinman, PhD" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 5:00 PM
Subject: RE: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Paperwork
----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any
advice in this forum.]----
Your comment remind me of those who believe that zero tolerance
makes good sense, when in fact zero tolerance means zero brains. There is
no
substitute for common sense. I would say the difference between a clock
and
a spar is fraud.
Robert Q. Steinman, Ph.D.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 4:43 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Paperwork
----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any
advice in this forum.]----
Richard;
That's grand fodder for a very good discussion. I'm surprised that your
airplane can even get off the ground with a clock not certificated for the
Ercoupe. ;-) But let's not go to those extremes. How about a wing spar
that has been spliced together, no records or docs? Flies fine doesn't
it?
Wouldn't you like to know about it when you're buying? Has your own IA
checked the seat belts for AD's? That's what an annual is all about!
What
about some mechanic changing a mag without documenting it? An AD comes
along that you don't think affects you and it spits up (or in) chunks one
day. Same goes about those unapproved fuel pump repair kits that are
probably just as good ad the high priced spread. How do you know if the
baggage compartment that's in there w/o paperwork will hold your pilot bag
or fall through on top of the control cables? What about that bubble
windshield without the paperwork? Was it really installed in the manner
that was listed on the STC? There are many scenarios that could be valid
as
well as ridiculous. On one side have you ever heard about the guys
putting
MOPAR pistons in the C85's? Talk about hot rods!
On the other is the clock. Have there been 40 years of bad mechanics? In
a
word, well - - - -! Good technicians obviously, but the job's not done
until the paperwork is completed. Can an IA inspect the work performed
previously and submit the paperwork. Absolutely, but unfortunately it'll
be
on your nickel. For too long these little airplanes have gotten minimal
or
pencil inspections, and in the very near future, after a few do fall out
of
the sky with Sport Pilots at the helm, the party is going to be over.
Bottom line guys, my first airplane was a coupe as was my second, fourth
and
sixth (in restoration, now). The third and fifth were/are Bonanzas. Big
difference in prices of everything, but I learned the value of a good
inspection and proper documentation. Don't fall into a bad habit by
sneaking one over on your IA. Get that documentation taken care of, it'll
show pride in ownership and increase the value of that airplane. And
NEVER
buy an aircraft without a prebuy.
Al
Always willing to tell you what you don't expect to hear. Isn't that
right,
B?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Wilkens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 4:08 PM
Subject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Paperwork
----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any
advice in this forum.]----
You know we haven't had lively discussion on this list in years, so let's
start one.
We just had a member use the following phase ".Too many Ercoupes have poor
paperwork, undocumented mods."
As many of you know I collect Ercoupe records and have probability read as
many individual Ercoupe FAA airworthiness records as anyone. Take for
example the clock in the middle of my panel, I think it was put there in
1965, but there is no 337 for it. Oh dear the world will come to an
end! Our Leader will be unhappy! In the 17 years I have had my Coupe not
a
single AP has said anything about it. Does that mean the 16 annuals I
have
had were done by BAD APs? (That would mean ten out of ten APs I have used
over the years are all bad. If we go back the full 40 years since the
clock was put in, who knows how many bad APs have worked on my Coupe. That
even includes Skyport--many years before John owned it.)
When I flow 904 over an 11,000 foot pass with the ceiling low enough you
couldn't see the top of the mountains, I didn't care that the clock
doesn't
have a 337 on file with the FAA. What I cared about is that my AP just
finished an annual and 904 was running great with all gauges in the
green. If I had put it into the mountain that day, do you think the FAA
would have checked for the 337 on my clock?
I have noticed reading FAA airworthiness files all one has to do is ask
his
current AP to check the installation of the "mods" and they will file a
337
for the "mod" saying "I have inspected the previously installed 'mod' and
it was done in accordance with FAA rule XXXX.xxx." So what is the big
deal? I don't think that because the FAA doesn't have a piece of paper on
file makes an airplane something to worry about or "...pay scrap
prices...". If you have bad paperwork and want scrap prices give me a
call,
I have money in the bank.
I firmly agree with one letter I read in a FAA registration file. The guy
was having a problem getting his registration done with the FAA. He wrote
them saying something like "If you don't send me the registration, my
airplane will fly just as well without it."
Richard
N99904
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