Tach Hours Recording INOP

[Mitty]

Anybody know whether this is an airworthiness issue? I was flying CAP cadets
today and discovered the problem. We have a kid taking a private ride on Monday
and would not like to switch airplanes on him.

Obviously it's not on the required VFR equipment list, but since without it you
no longer know the airframe or engine hours for ADs, inspections, etc. it seems
to me that there is likely to be a requirement for it buried somewhere.

TIA

[Jim Macklin]

The aircraft time is recorded by the tachometer in most
cases and the Hobbs meter is used to record time for billing
users. But if the tach works for RPM, you should be able to
log the hours from the clock/wrist watch and note the inop
condition of the hourmeter. When the tach is replaced the
new total time will be entered in the logbook. See the
required equipment list in the POH to see what is required.

As long as the RPM is working, the hour/meter portion should
be placarded as "inop, record clock time in the logbook" to
meet the airworthiness requirements.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
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"Mitty" > wrote in message
...
| Anybody know whether this is an airworthiness issue? I
was flying CAP cadets
| today and discovered the problem. We have a kid taking a
private ride on Monday
| and would not like to switch airplanes on him.
|
| Obviously it's not on the required VFR equipment list, but
since without it you
| no longer know the airframe or engine hours for ADs,
inspections, etc. it seems
| to me that there is likely to be a requirement for it
buried somewhere.
|
| TIA

[David Cartwright]

"Mitty" > wrote in message
...
> Anybody know whether this is an airworthiness issue? I was flying CAP
> cadets today and discovered the problem. We have a kid taking a private
> ride on Monday and would not like to switch airplanes on him.
> Obviously it's not on the required VFR equipment list, but since without
> it you no longer know the airframe or engine hours for ADs, inspections,
> etc. it seems to me that there is likely to be a requirement for it buried
> somewhere.

So long as hours are recorded by some other reasonable means (e.g. simply by
looking at the clock) and the precise nature of the measurement is known
and, preferably, documented (e.g. whether it's the time from startup to
shutdown, or the time from brakes off to brakes on), there should be no
problem. Actually I've only ever used one aircraft whose owner charged based
on the time recorded from the Hobbs meter - everything else has been a case
of looking at your wris****ch and recording the time from brakes off to
brakes on. Actually I like this idea, because it removes the financial
incentive to rush your after-start and power checks.

D.