"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.