Fuel Valves, Wing Tips, And You

Thanks for the heads up. This is the year 2005... its about time some
sense it being injected into a few of these "maintenance" regs...

I'm all for required inspections and so forth, but people shouldn't
have to be scrounging around for parts like they do... or not replacing
older parts with otherwise "better" and modern parts because they haven't
been blessed by Pope Pious XII (and since he's long passed on there will be no
more blessings... etc. etc.)


RST Engineering wrote:
There has been much discussion about Home Depot fuel valves, homebrew
wingtips, and the like. There has been much discussion about what is and
what is not allowed by the regulations.

Finally, somebody at the highest echelons of the FAA in Washington is trying
to put some sense back in the regulations. Read the Notice Of Proposed
Rulemaking here http://makeashorterlink.com/?S1075282A as to what Mr.
O'Brien is trying to do.

Understand, what he is saying is that he wants to make ACCEPTABLE data
APPROVED data without going through the field approval process. Not
ACCEPTED data, ACCEPTABLE data. What remains to be seen (and I hope that
the installing mechanic may choose what is acceptable) is who defines
acceptable.

If you want to change how the maintenance game is played, now is your
chance. Either comment on this NPRM or forever hold your peace. This is
the most far-reaching maintenance change since 21.303(b)(2) came along as a
modification from the CAR to the FAR.

Jim