Note: this response is regarding a question on the Grumman-Gang users group but I have also sent a copy of it to the Ercoupe Users Group as the same principles apply and I think someone there might also benefit..Glen
Bill The Grummans are not any more plagued with problems than are Cessnas or Pipers OF THE SAME VINTAGE. Older planes, like older people, have aches and pains that need to be addressed. Some are serious, most are minor. Regarding your annual and assuming this is your first....to protect yourself and your wallet...and no matter who you decide to have do the work...take this advice: 1. Speak to your shop and determine the base cost of the annual inspection. This is usually between $500 and $900. 2. After the "inspection" part of the annual is completed, ask the mechanic to provide you, in writing, a list of squawks he has found, divided into two categories, airworthy items and deferrable items. Also ask him to provide the cost to address each and every item on the both list. You will pay for his time to create this list but it is worth the small investment. By doing this, you will have a better idea of what to expect your final bill to be and you will have a part in the decision process of what is going to be address at this annual and what isn't. I know many people who have been shocked when they got the bill at the end of the annual because they were not aware and involved in the process while it was happening. Don't just say "fix everything" unless you have an unlimited bank account and don't care what it will cost. By itemizing the squawk items, it also keeps your mechanic honest as almost all items have a "recommended" number of hours for repair/replacement. If no recommended time is available, just post the question on the GG (Ercoupe) list and you will find out very quickly what others have paid for the same type of repair. Lastly, the first annual inspection by any shop is usually a big one as the mechanic has to not only look at everything and turn wrenches, he also will have to spend a lot of time researching the logs to making sure all the AD's have been complied with and all the 337's have been filed for modifications. This can take many hours. If the same shop does the annual in subsequent years, the research time will be much, much less. Before you start, ask the mechanic how he researches AD's. Most will subscribe to a service that lists all the AD's that are applicable to any particular aircraft, by model and serial number. If he does not subscribe to this type of list and has to do the research manually, it may behoove your wallet to personally subscribe to "AD Logs" for about $30. They will send you a list of all the applicable AD's which you in turn can hand over to the mechanic. Talk to him about this before you do it. Some mechanics already have the service and some prefer one service over another. Best of luck and don't be scared off by the posts on this list. Glen ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 10:20 PM Subject: Re: AA5 Nose Gear Strut Question Thanks, Glen, I guess I'll have to do as you suggest. I don't know if it's that I'm reading too many "Grumman Gang" posts, but I'm getting afraid to fly the airplane because of all the things I read going wrong with them. Maybe when I flew rental Cessnas, I just didn't see all of the problems but these airplanes seem plagued with problems. My wife is going bonkers about the money I have put into this airplane. Maybe a good annual with Bob is the way to go. I just hope it doesn't end with me having to give up on it. Thanks, Bill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ See AOL's top rated recipes and easy ways to stay in shape for winter. Glen Glen Davis 917 297 1111 www.ishootpictures.com www.ercoupepilot.com
