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Vern.
Thanks for your thoughts on my posting. I can see you are very
concerned about safety, as am I. Since having taken it on myself to
care for my own plane, I have found numerous, and I mean numerous, items
that were missed or poorly repaired by certified mechanics. And don't
think Canadian mechanics are any less qualified than U.S. ones. I
nearly lost a plane,{Ralley 880-B} and possibly myself when I had fuel
pump failure 50 feet in the air on a short strip. The pump had had a
piece of valve spring put in as a diaphragm return spring! The
diaphragm shaft had been riveted over on the diaphragm end and was
loose. The line coming out of the pump had a soft solder joint that
came apart in my hand as I removed the pump. This and three other gross
mistakes had been made in the "rebuilding" of this pump. I took it to
the D.O.T.{Department of transport} inspector. He was horrified.
Meanwhile I had got a kit and did the job properly. The mechanic was
hauled up and disciplined. The point of all this is he could have
killed me, where as I, as "shade tree mechanic" professionally {Auto,
Marine and Small Engine} for over 40 years, made the plane safe again.
In the restoration of my coupe that I did a year and a half ago, I found
things that had been missed by numerous "Certified Aircraft Mechanics".
In aircraft, as in anything, some things are very important and some are
inconsequential. It will be a long time before I can be made to believe
that an I.D. tag, made out of non-factory stainless, with the correct
numbers on it, will be a threat to safety or security. Agreed, the
F.A.A. or whoever may not like it, but let's get real, this is not a big
issue. I also agree that many people should not work on their own
planes. But if they choose to, they must take on the responsibility for
what they do, as I do. It's my belief that we should be trying to get
out from under big brother's thumb and run our own lives, and not hide
behind the shield of "safety" that he says is good for us, because he
says so. Remember, God didn't give the sky the F.A.A., they just took
it. My motto is, "don't be intimidated by anyone".
Safe flying.
Jon Page
FLAK MAGNET
{Owner Maintained}
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