Al, I am in complete agreement with you. And I would like to make one counter point. As most people in the forum know, I am having trouble with a rough running engine due to a sticking valve. When my former A&P and his shop mate were informing me that it was necessary to have a complete engine overhaul as a result of a stuck valve, I got the same story: what is your life worth? What if that valve had stuck while you were up in the air?
As we have all discussed, lead-fouling 100LL is likely the cause of my sticking valve. And instead of $6,000 to $12,000 worth of repairs, I should have my Ercoupe airworthy for around $500 or $600 not including the $850 bill from my previous A&P. So this is the point I want to make. Every day we make decisions and do things that involve risk. Just getting in my car and driving to work involves life-threatening risks. What we all want to do is manage that risk wisely. No amount of money can remove risk from our lives. And yet, people do risk their lives and lose their lives to save very little in the way of time or money. Since we cannot eliminate risk entirely, we must manage risk wisely. The best way to do that is to become well informed. That is why I thank all of you in this forum for your knowledge and sage advice. I don't want to fall out of the sky and make my wife a widow. I don't want to end someone's life on the ground because I didn't take the time to drain some fuel out of my gascolator. On the other hand, I don't want to line someone's pocket who wants to take advantage of my inexperience and fear of my own mortality. Thank you all for taking the time to answer questions and join the debate. I salute you. Frank Nelson N51DV - 415C --- In [email protected], "AJ DeMarzo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > No one should play Aviation Russian Roulette. Not sure about anyone else out there, but my life is worth more than a few hundred bucks. > > Al DeMarzo > Visit the Ercoupe Swap Page - Free and Easy > http://www.ercoupeowners.com/swap/swapbook.htm >
