Log in

View Full Version : Ferry Permit?


Mackfly
March 7th 04, 04:48 AM
Tried to get a ferry permit from the local FSDO so we could tow a Blanik that
was one week out of annual to another airport for it's inspection. They said
they could not issure it for safety reasons! I had done it once with my
1-23H15 a few years ago. The "reason" given was because of the risk placed on
the tow pilot. The addition of risk to another person. I asked the fellow if
they ever issued one to "crewed" aircraft to which he said "yes." I mentioned
that the tow plane and the sailplane could release from each other and asked if
a required "crew" member could do that. He said he had even called the next
level up, at KC. Not at all sure he made the call. All in all it smacks of
CYA when you are in over your head at your job. We used to have a guy come and
do/sign off the inspection in a cold dark hangar at the field. What we were
trying to do was get the glider to a lighted, heated hangar where it would get
a "better" inspection. Thanks to the FAA's wisdom we did the inspection in a
cold, dark hangar again. Anyone ever "ferry" a sailplane? Yes we have a
trailer. We are only willing to be laughed at by glass ship owners as we
hammer a Blanic together at Salida or Boulder. Any thoughts? Mac

Shawn Curry
March 7th 04, 05:25 AM
Mackfly wrote:

> Tried to get a ferry permit from the local FSDO so we could tow a Blanik that
> was one week out of annual to another airport for it's inspection. They said
> they could not issure it for safety reasons! I had done it once with my
> 1-23H15 a few years ago. The "reason" given was because of the risk placed on
> the tow pilot. The addition of risk to another person. I asked the fellow if
> they ever issued one to "crewed" aircraft to which he said "yes." I mentioned
> that the tow plane and the sailplane could release from each other and asked if
> a required "crew" member could do that. He said he had even called the next
> level up, at KC. Not at all sure he made the call. All in all it smacks of
> CYA when you are in over your head at your job. We used to have a guy come and
> do/sign off the inspection in a cold dark hangar at the field. What we were
> trying to do was get the glider to a lighted, heated hangar where it would get
> a "better" inspection. Thanks to the FAA's wisdom we did the inspection in a
> cold, dark hangar again. Anyone ever "ferry" a sailplane? Yes we have a
> trailer. We are only willing to be laughed at by glass ship owners as we
> hammer a Blanic together at Salida or Boulder. Any thoughts? Mac

Hey we never laughed! Until this week, SSB had a Blanik too.

Cheers,
Shawn

P.S. Mac, did you see Stu's post about a tow plane in Salida? Will we
see you this summer?

BTIZ
March 7th 04, 05:55 AM
so Mack.. why did you let it get one week out of annual?

Blanik annuals are not tough.. but the wings should come apart.. and you
should get in the interior wing root and pull out the rollers there that the
flap and spoiler push rods ride on. If the rollers don't roll, you are
wearing down one side of the push rod.

You have to get someone in through that hatch behind the rear seat, that can
work with his arms over his head, and pull the rollers out, clean and
replace.

BT
"Mackfly" > wrote in message
...
> Tried to get a ferry permit from the local FSDO so we could tow a Blanik
that
> was one week out of annual to another airport for it's inspection. They
said
> they could not issure it for safety reasons! I had done it once with my
> 1-23H15 a few years ago. The "reason" given was because of the risk
placed on
> the tow pilot. The addition of risk to another person. I asked the
fellow if
> they ever issued one to "crewed" aircraft to which he said "yes." I
mentioned
> that the tow plane and the sailplane could release from each other and
asked if
> a required "crew" member could do that. He said he had even called the
next
> level up, at KC. Not at all sure he made the call. All in all it smacks
of
> CYA when you are in over your head at your job. We used to have a guy
come and
> do/sign off the inspection in a cold dark hangar at the field. What we
were
> trying to do was get the glider to a lighted, heated hangar where it would
get
> a "better" inspection. Thanks to the FAA's wisdom we did the inspection
in a
> cold, dark hangar again. Anyone ever "ferry" a sailplane? Yes we have a
> trailer. We are only willing to be laughed at by glass ship owners as we
> hammer a Blanic together at Salida or Boulder. Any thoughts?
Mac

d b
March 7th 04, 01:47 PM
No, I have not personal experience with that. But I do know of a 175 that was
air towed from one airport to another. All done with the FAA's blessing.

The paper work and testing is a great story. Took a long time. Mere mortals
don't have that kind of patience and drive.

In article >,
(Mackfly) wrote:
>Tried to get a ferry permit from the local FSDO so we could tow a Blanik that
>was one week out of annual to another airport for it's inspection. They said
>they could not issure it for safety reasons! I had done it once with my
>1-23H15 a few years ago. The "reason" given was because of the risk placed on
>the tow pilot. The addition of risk to another person. I asked the fellow if
>they ever issued one to "crewed" aircraft to which he said "yes." I mentioned
>that the tow plane and the sailplane could release from each other and asked if
>a required "crew" member could do that. He said he had even called the next
>level up, at KC. Not at all sure he made the call. All in all it smacks of
>CYA when you are in over your head at your job. We used to have a guy come and
>do/sign off the inspection in a cold dark hangar at the field. What we were
>trying to do was get the glider to a lighted, heated hangar where it would get
>a "better" inspection. Thanks to the FAA's wisdom we did the inspection in a
>cold, dark hangar again. Anyone ever "ferry" a sailplane? Yes we have a
>trailer. We are only willing to be laughed at by glass ship owners as we
>hammer a Blanic together at Salida or Boulder. Any thoughts? Mac

goneill
March 7th 04, 05:26 PM
I believe that in NZ an aircraft is allowed to be flown to a place of
repair or maintenance even when when the paperwork has expired.
gary
"d b" > wrote in message
.net...
> No, I have not personal experience with that. But I do know of a 175 that
was
> air towed from one airport to another. All done with the FAA's blessing.
>
> The paper work and testing is a great story. Took a long time. Mere
mortals
> don't have that kind of patience and drive.
>
> In article >,
> (Mackfly) wrote:
> >Tried to get a ferry permit from the local FSDO so we could tow a Blanik
that
> >was one week out of annual to another airport for it's inspection. They
said
> >they could not issure it for safety reasons! I had done it once with my
> >1-23H15 a few years ago. The "reason" given was because of the risk
placed on
> >the tow pilot. The addition of risk to another person. I asked the
fellow if
> >they ever issued one to "crewed" aircraft to which he said "yes." I
mentioned
> >that the tow plane and the sailplane could release from each other and
asked if
> >a required "crew" member could do that. He said he had even called the
next
> >level up, at KC. Not at all sure he made the call. All in all it smacks
of
> >CYA when you are in over your head at your job. We used to have a guy
come and
> >do/sign off the inspection in a cold dark hangar at the field. What we
were
> >trying to do was get the glider to a lighted, heated hangar where it
would get
> >a "better" inspection. Thanks to the FAA's wisdom we did the inspection
in a
> >cold, dark hangar again. Anyone ever "ferry" a sailplane? Yes we have
a
> >trailer. We are only willing to be laughed at by glass ship owners as we
> >hammer a Blanic together at Salida or Boulder. Any thoughts?
Mac

F.L. Whiteley
March 7th 04, 06:01 PM
"Mackfly" > wrote in message
...
> Tried to get a ferry permit from the local FSDO so we could tow a Blanik
that
> was one week out of annual to another airport for it's inspection. They
said
> they could not issure it for safety reasons! I had done it once with my
> 1-23H15 a few years ago. The "reason" given was because of the risk
placed on
> the tow pilot. The addition of risk to another person. I asked the
fellow if
> they ever issued one to "crewed" aircraft to which he said "yes." I
mentioned
> that the tow plane and the sailplane could release from each other and
asked if
> a required "crew" member could do that. He said he had even called the
next
> level up, at KC. Not at all sure he made the call. All in all it smacks
of
> CYA when you are in over your head at your job. We used to have a guy
come and
> do/sign off the inspection in a cold dark hangar at the field. What we
were
> trying to do was get the glider to a lighted, heated hangar where it would
get
> a "better" inspection. Thanks to the FAA's wisdom we did the inspection
in a
> cold, dark hangar again. Anyone ever "ferry" a sailplane? Yes we have a
> trailer. We are only willing to be laughed at by glass ship owners as we
> hammer a Blanic together at Salida or Boulder. Any thoughts?
Mac

If it was Denver FSDO, your answer is in your post.

Mark James Boyd
March 8th 04, 11:19 PM
In article >,
F.L. Whiteley > wrote:
>
>"Mackfly" > wrote in message
...
>> Tried to get a ferry permit from the local FSDO so we could tow a Blanik
>that
>> was one week out of annual to another airport for it's inspection. They
>said
>> they could not issure it for safety reasons! I had done it once with my
>> 1-23H15 a few years ago. The "reason" given was because of the risk
>placed on
>> the tow pilot. The addition of risk to another person. I asked the


Yep, I'd believe that. Just like the marginal, gradual
disappearance of a lot of things, I'm not surprised at this.

I for one am very grateful that we have a FSDO inspector who
is a glider CFI. I suspect we avoid a lot of silliness
behind the scenes because of this.
--

------------+
Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA

Bob Kuykendall
March 9th 04, 02:23 AM
Earlier, Mackfly wrote:

>Tried to get a ferry permit from the local FSDO...

Shoulda tried SFO. :)

Bob K.

Google