yet another annual story - day three (finished)

[Bob Noel]

Nothing to say except wrapped up the annual.

24 hours of time for the two mechanics, which included installing the
knots-2-U strobe (which is NOT a 6.5 hour job), plus some of my time
opening and closing the various panels.

A three day turn on an annual inspection plus an STC install is pretty good.

Now I'm looking forward to some flying weather and time off from work...

--
Bob Noel
(gave up looking for a particular sig the lawyer will hate)

[Jay Honeck]

> A three day turn on an annual inspection plus an STC install is pretty good.

Dang! And here I was happy about my 3-day annual (with a gas tank
sealed) and was crediting it to my A&P wanting desperately to get back
to working on his P6E Hawk fighter replica, which is nearly ready for
flight testing.

Of course, it sounds like you had twice as many A&Ps working on yours
as I did -- no fair!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Bob Noel]

In article . com>,
"Jay Honeck" > wrote:

> > A three day turn on an annual inspection plus an STC install is pretty good.
>
> Dang! And here I was happy about my 3-day annual (with a gas tank
> sealed) and was crediting it to my A&P wanting desperately to get back
> to working on his P6E Hawk fighter replica, which is nearly ready for
> flight testing.
>
> Of course, it sounds like you had twice as many A&Ps working on yours
> as I did -- no fair!

yeah, but they were also putting in new bladders on a 402, and this isn't
their fulltime job.

The shortest time for any annual on my plane was 24 hours (in 2004 I think).
I brought it in at 5pm Friday and was done by 5pm Saturday.

--
Bob Noel
(gave up looking for a particular sig the lawyer will hate)

[Robert M. Gary]

On Mar 26, 5:40 pm, Bob Noel >
wrote:
> Nothing to say except wrapped up the annual.
>
> 24 hours of time for the two mechanics, which included installing the
> knots-2-U strobe (which is NOT a 6.5 hour job), plus some of my time
> opening and closing the various panels.
>
> A three day turn on an annual inspection plus an STC install is pretty good.
>
> Now I'm looking forward to some flying weather and time off from work...
>
> --
> Bob Noel
> (gave up looking for a particular sig the lawyer will hate)

WOW, My record for an annual is 3 weeks. Some have wondered if its
called an annual because it takes a year.

-Robert

[Steve C]

I plan on three weeks also, although I can only take one or two days a
week off to work on it. On year it took almost 7 weeks - mostly
scheduling things - I was out of town, then my A&P/IA was on a cruise,
then I was waiting for a part...

[Jay Honeck]

> I plan on three weeks also, although I can only take one or two days a
> week off to work on it. On year it took almost 7 weeks - mostly
> scheduling things - I was out of town, then my A&P/IA was on a cruise,
> then I was waiting for a part...

Holy crap, what do you guys fly, a DC-3? There just ain't that much
"there" there in a single engine spam can like most of us tool around
in.

Assuming we're talking about a piston single here, what does your A&P
*do* after the first week?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Robert M. Gary]

On Mar 27, 12:21 pm, "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
> > I plan on three weeks also, although I can only take one or two days a
> > week off to work on it. On year it took almost 7 weeks - mostly
> > scheduling things - I was out of town, then my A&P/IA was on a cruise,
> > then I was waiting for a part...
>
> Holy crap, what do you guys fly, a DC-3? There just ain't that much
> "there" there in a single engine spam can like most of us tool around
> in.
>
> Assuming we're talking about a piston single here, what does your A&P
> *do* after the first week?
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"

Well, on a Mooney removing all the inspection panels itself is a day,
putting them back is another day. Lubing is almost an entire day, etc.

-Robert

[Jay Honeck]

> Well, on a Mooney removing all the inspection panels itself is a day,
> putting them back is another day. Lubing is almost an entire day, etc.

I just had a deja vu moment -- did we have this discussion last
annual?

So you're saying it takes a full, 8-hour day to remove inspection
panels from a Mooney?

Let's see, even if you can only remove one screw every 60 seconds (and
I hope your A&P isn't *that* slow), that would be 480 screws. Figuring
an average of eight screws per inspection panel (at least that's the
way it is on my plane), you're talking about 60 inspection panels.

Does that leave any room for fuselage?

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Steve C]

On Mar 27, 2:21 pm, "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
> Holy crap, what do you guys fly, a DC-3? There just ain't that much
> "there" there in a single engine spam can like most of us tool around
> in.

Well, I'm slow. And, the Annual inspection checklist from Diamond,
which I follow exactly, is almost 40 pages long. My A&P/IA is not
physically there for most of the time. Mainly the engine stuff at the
beginning, and after the inspection panels are off and the interior is
out. We usually total about 40 man-hours - just spread out. If we did
it continuously, we'd be done in three days or less.

Steve

[Jay Honeck]

> We usually total about 40 man-hours - just spread out. If we did
> it continuously, we'd be done in three days or less.

With the fixed expense of airplane ownership being what it is (high,
regardless of actual usage), making your plane unavailable for three
weeks every year seems awfully expensive.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Steve C]

On Mar 27, 3:51 pm, "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
> > We usually total about 40 man-hours - just spread out. If we did
> > it continuously, we'd be done in three days or less.
>
> With the fixed expense of airplane ownership being what it is (high,
> regardless of actual usage), making your plane unavailable for three
> weeks every year seems awfully expensive.
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"

Agreed. But that's what fits my work schedule the best.

[Robert M. Gary]

On Mar 27, 1:15 pm, "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
> > Well, on a Mooney removing all the inspection panels itself is a day,
> > putting them back is another day. Lubing is almost an entire day, etc.
>
> I just had a deja vu moment -- did we have this discussion last
> annual?
>
> So you're saying it takes a full, 8-hour day to remove inspection
> panels from a Mooney?
>
> Let's see, even if you can only remove one screw every 60 seconds (and
> I hope your A&P isn't *that* slow), that would be 480 screws. Figuring
> an average of eight screws per inspection panel (at least that's the
> way it is on my plane), you're talking about 60 inspection panels.

60 is actually pretty close, at least the 480 screws is pretty close.
It may actually be more screws than that. This IA requires that all
the inspection panels be opened. I also do not have the one piece
belly.

-Robert

[Paul kgyy]

On Mar 27, 12:27 pm, "Robert M. Gary" > wrote:
> On Mar 26, 5:40 pm, Bob Noel >
> wrote:
>
> > Nothing to say except wrapped up the annual.
>
> > 24 hours of time for the two mechanics, which included installing the
> > knots-2-U strobe (which is NOT a 6.5 hour job), plus some of my time
> > opening and closing the various panels.
>
> > A three day turn on an annual inspection plus an STC install is pretty good.
>
> > Now I'm looking forward to some flying weather and time off from work...
>
> > --
> > Bob Noel
> > (gave up looking for a particular sig the lawyer will hate)
>
> WOW, My record for an annual is 3 weeks. Some have wondered if its
> called an annual because it takes a year.
>
> -Robert

I brought mine in January 12, and with luck will pick it up this
Friday... :-( Usually it's 2-3 weeks, but this has been a year of
"progressive revelation". They pulled the nose trunnion off because
it was damaged from somebody's airport tug. They had difficulty
removing it; it turned out that the engine mount structure to which it
was attached was twisted. So off comes the engine, prop, everything
firewall forward, ship to Kosola to reweld new tubing and straighten.
The drag link also turned out to be warped. I've made some pretty
hamhanded xwind landings, but this is making a severe dent in my
retirement money.

[Roger[_4_]]

On 27 Mar 2007 10:27:31 -0700, "Robert M. Gary" >
wrote:

>On Mar 26, 5:40 pm, Bob Noel >
>wrote:
>> Nothing to say except wrapped up the annual.
>>
>> 24 hours of time for the two mechanics, which included installing the
>> knots-2-U strobe (which is NOT a 6.5 hour job), plus some of my time
>> opening and closing the various panels.
>>
>> A three day turn on an annual inspection plus an STC install is pretty good.
>>
>> Now I'm looking forward to some flying weather and time off from work...
>>
>> --
>> Bob Noel
>> (gave up looking for a particular sig the lawyer will hate)
>
>WOW, My record for an annual is 3 weeks. Some have wondered if its
>called an annual because it takes a year.

I've had the Deb since around 92 or so. Most annuals have run about a
day and that includes a gear retraction on jacks. The last two were
two days as the mechanic had to work alone. They also have to pull
the seats (ever try to line up a Bo seat to get it back on the
tracks?) and spar cover to get at the retraction mechanism and inspect
the carry through. Oil change, set timing, check compression, check
and clean plugs, degrease engine, pull all access covers and check
controls and check all ADs. Mechanic keeps these on computer so it's
a relatively quick check and if you have an AD, annual time is the
best time to tackle it.
>
I do a progressive maintenance program so there is seldom much that
needs fixing. A few times we've changed brake pads.

>-Robert
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

[Jay Honeck]

> Agreed. But that's what fits my work schedule the best.

What type aircraft do you fly?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Steve C]

On Mar 28, 8:48 am, "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
> > Agreed. But that's what fits my work schedule the best.
>
> What type aircraft do you fly?
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"

2001 Diamond Star

Steve

[Tri-Pacer]

I recently did an owner assisted annual in about 9 hours total.

Granted it was a very simple airplane that I have maintained for a number of
years and no major ADs or discrepencies were found.

The owner removed and replaced all the floor boards, inspection plates,
fairings, while I did my inspection, AD compliance, leakdown, lube etc.

I keep my ATP Navigator on a Laptop and print out new AD compliance logs and
stick on labels for log entries and he flew out while there was still
daylight.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A

[Robert M. Gary]

On Mar 28, 10:34 am, "Tri-Pacer" > wrote:
> I recently did an owner assisted annual in about 9 hours total.
>
> Granted it was a very simple airplane that I have maintained for a number of
> years and no major ADs or discrepencies were found.
>
> The owner removed and replaced all the floor boards, inspection plates,
> fairings, while I did my inspection, AD compliance, leakdown, lube etc.
>
> I keep my ATP Navigator on a Laptop and print out new AD compliance logs and
> stick on labels for log entries and he flew out while there was still
> daylight.
>
> Cheers:
>
> Paul
> N1431A

When I had the Aeronca the annuals were very straight forward. The
only hold up was waiting for another A&P to be in town who was small
enough to climb into the tail and inspect the control cables back
there. The A&Ps on the field wouldn't fit.

-Robert