Fatalities: Rentals vs Owned?

Emily writes:

Every single rental
aircraft I have flown is meticulously maintained, by certificated and
qualified mechanics with factory training.

But who knows where those aircraft have been, and how pilots have
treated them when away from the eyes of their owners? For example, an
airframe could be overstressed and not show any visible anomalies,
until it fails.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 09:31:55 +0200, Mxsmanic wrote:

Emily writes:

Every single rental
aircraft I have flown is meticulously maintained, by certificated and
qualified mechanics with factory training.

But who knows where those aircraft have been, and how pilots have
treated them when away from the eyes of their owners? For example, an
airframe could be overstressed and not show any visible anomalies,
until it fails.

Same argument could be made for *any* airplane...you don't know what the
previous owner did to it. But there are admittedly more people who have
previously flown a renter than a used plane. To quote myself, "Renting
airplanes is like renting sex: It's harder to arrange at short notice on
Saturday, you worry about what previous customers left for you, and someone is
always looking at their watch."

Ron Wanttaja

Ron Wanttaja writes:

Same argument could be made for *any* airplane...you don't know what the
previous owner did to it.

If it has a previous owner ... but a brand-new plane does not.

But there are admittedly more people who have previously flown
a renter than a used plane.

If they are anything like rental cars or other rental equipment, they
may be in very sorry shape.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 10:27:39 +0200, Mxsmanic wrote:

Ron Wanttaja writes:

Same argument could be made for *any* airplane...you don't know what the
previous owner did to it.

If it has a previous owner ... but a brand-new plane does not.

The average General Aviation aircraft is more than 30 years old. A new plane
requires a cash outlay an order of magnitude higher. And *no* buyer is the very
first person to fly the aircraft. Not all ferry pilots are as genteel as
NW_Pilot. :-)

But there are admittedly more people who have previously flown
a renter than a used plane.

If they are anything like rental cars or other rental equipment, they
may be in very sorry shape.

With one exception, the rental cars I've driven have been in pristine shape,
compared to the clapped-out 172s I rent every two years for my BFR. I've never
had a rental car more than a year old, haven't had a rental airplane less than
ten years old for at least the last 20 years. My last two personal cars were
bought used from the rental agencies. Both went to 100K miles with few problems
(GM cars, even).

(The rental-car exception was a Toyota rented at a location which had mostly
gravel roads. The rental agreement required that I clean any blood out of the
trunk before turning it back in....no, it wasn't New Jersey :-)

Ron Wanttaja

Ron Wanttaja writes:

The average General Aviation aircraft is more than 30 years old. A new plane
requires a cash outlay an order of magnitude higher. And *no* buyer is the very
first person to fly the aircraft. Not all ferry pilots are as genteel as
NW_Pilot.

I'd fix that by riding with the ferry pilot, or by picking the plane
up myself.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

This assumes that you are checked out in the plane, and that your insurance
company agrees. For many complex airplanes, companies might require 20-100
hours time in type, and 20 or more of dual instruction before being covered,
along with possibly an instructor sign-off. (an example is the Baron you
talk about)

"Viperdoc" wrote in message
...
This assumes that you are checked out in the plane, and that your
insurance company agrees. For many complex airplanes, companies might
require 20-100 hours time in type, and 20 or more of dual instruction
before being covered, along with possibly an instructor sign-off. (an
example is the Baron you talk about)


I don't think insurance companies require a check-out for airplanes that
come in a box and plug into the wall.

In article ,
Mxsmanic wrote:
Ron Wanttaja writes:

The average General Aviation aircraft is more than 30 years old. A new plane
requires a cash outlay an order of magnitude higher. And *no* buyer is the very
first person to fly the aircraft. Not all ferry pilots are as genteel as
NW_Pilot.

I'd fix that by riding with the ferry pilot,


How? By pulling a chair up next to him in front of the monitor?

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:31:29 +0200, Mxsmanic wrote:

Ron Wanttaja writes:

The average General Aviation aircraft is more than 30 years old. A new plane
requires a cash outlay an order of magnitude higher. And *no* buyer is the very
first person to fly the aircraft. Not all ferry pilots are as genteel as
NW_Pilot.

I'd fix that by riding with the ferry pilot, or by picking the plane
up myself.

If you bought a new 172, the plane would require a special waiver to have
long-range fuel tanks installed and flown across the Atlantic to France. The
waiver wouldn't allow the ferry pilot to carry a passenger...and it would take
you a long, long time to get qualified to make the flight yourself.

And they're still not going to let you climb in at the exit point of the
assembly line and be the first person to fly the airplane....

Ron Wanttaja

Ron Wanttaja writes:

If you bought a new 172, the plane would require a special waiver to have
long-range fuel tanks installed and flown across the Atlantic to France.

Are there no ships these days?

Anyway, I'd surely not be buying one in France. And it would probably
be a Beechcraft rather than a Cessna, although I suppose the same
problem exists in any case.

The waiver wouldn't allow the ferry pilot to carry a passenger...and
it would take you a long, long time to get qualified to make the flight
yourself.

Unless, of course, I already have that qualification.

But I think it would be simpler to ship it by sea.

And they're still not going to let you climb in at the exit point of the
assembly line and be the first person to fly the airplane....

Why not?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.