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At 10:00 PM 10/8/02 -0700, Jan E Zanutto wrote:
>Hello David,
>
>glad you bought a coupe, and I hope it brings you many years of flying
>adventure. I have been on the list since around 1998, when I bought my
>first coupe, I am on my third now........I have completely restored one,
>and bought 2 others. It's a great plane, but let me offer my own
>observation on the subject of owner maintenance.
>
>I too am an A&P instructor, and IA, and a Designated Mechanic's Examiner-
>I just got back from Anaheim attending the renewal seminar. I have a
>Bachelor's degree also, and I am published. If you read many of the
>coupers postings they do include "my mech says",. or "my IA says...." I
>know many of these guys personally and they know their airplanes inside
>and out- better than just about any A&P. They fly with their wives,
>children, and grandchildren in their coupes and they all have that in
>mind.Can they legally do work without supervision by an A&P- no,
>absolutely not. But they do anyway, and I will tell you why from my own
>first-hand observations.
Jan's points are well worth considering. I may be biased because I have
met him
in person; yet I feel his words are worth heeding. "I am not an A&P, nor
do I play
one on TV." But I'm reasonably astute mechanically. I have worked on all
my
airplanes, starting under the supervision of my A&P brother (works for
United
Airlines now, buying parts).
I see it like medicine. You can leave it to the doctor and hope for
the
best. They
also have a screwie system - government meddling, overly litigous, the
works.
And they have the bums as well as the good guys. Like your plane, your
body is
up to you to know and take care of. And yes, you may know your plane/body
better than a rated mechanic/doctor. Since your plane/condition becomes
your
area of study, you can very well know more than your general purpose
mechanic/
doctor.
>The aircraft maintenance business is where the auto maintenance business
>was, back in the 70's.
No, Jan. Like all businesses are when the public has no choice or clues
as
to what is happening. Like the poor, the dishonest shiesters are always
with us.
>It's no wonder that any aircraft owner takes his/her maintenance into
>their own hands.
I have done so, and live to tell the story.
>Beside teaching the basics of the A&P curriculum, I always tell my
>students to have integrity, be honest and not try to become rich off each
>customer.
What the aviation industry cannot learn, IMHO, is the magic of volume.
Every
airplane, from the Wright Brothers on down, is a hand-assembled one-of.
Each
and every one. The Ercoupe factory was running three shifts in 1946 -
which is
the closest thing that ever was towards mass production. Look at a Ford
plant,
then at Boeing. Lots of difference. Robots at the first, Rosie the
Riveter at the
second. Until a product can be changed as production experience
accumulates,
it cannot be improved or made any cheaper. THAT IS THE WAY IT IS, due to
the
laws.
>Sorry Dave, my personal feelings are starting to surface and I
>best stop now.......
Same here!
>By the way, I had a great time at the Salinas airshow and got to meet
>Wayne and Audean. What a wonderful couple,
The Best! I parked next to Wayne at the EOC national meeting in 1994 in
Prescott, AZ. Was honored to be at his EOC national in 1997. They are
just super; I can't say enough good things about `em.
> I had
>to turn early because I had a P-51 and a B-25 on my butt.......
And I had to dodge the B-52's at Roswell, Jan. Nice to operate with the
heavy iron.
Percy in Portland
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