Left Mag Dead... After Annual???

If you do OAA, you don't have to worry about taking the cowl off and
looking. Since you were the one that put the cowl (and every other
inspection plate and removable frumpus) back on the airplane after you took
them off in the first place, you have as much time as your little heart
desires to thoroughly inspect the aircraft.

And, since you were the one that pulled and reinstalled the plugs for the
cleaning and compression check, you don't have to worry about somebody not
tightening them up right. You have met the enemy and he is you {;-)

Jim





"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
Well, I do a thorough preflight and run up each time, regardless of the
maintenance schedule. I certainly cannot remove the cowl and inspect
the security of the spark plugs ;-\

I'm pretty thorough about preflight and runup, regularly, as well, but
on the first flight after the plane has come out of annual, is it
overkill to remove the cowl and inspect for something that doesn't look
right? I'm just wondering if it's slightly on the reckless side, not
to go above and beyond our normally thorough preflight and runup?

Mark Hansen wrote:
Well, I do a thorough preflight and run up each time, regardless of the
maintenance schedule. I certainly cannot remove the cowl and inspect
the security of the spark plugs ;-\

Why not? The cowl on most types comes off with no tools. When doing
checkouts with new club members, I often pull the cowling and show
them what's underneath.

I certainly wouldn't launch into anything but day-vfr for the first
flight after major maintenance, and even then, I like to circle the
airport a couple of laps while climbing to a good altitude.

On 02/27/06 11:39, Roy Smith wrote:
Mark Hansen wrote:
Well, I do a thorough preflight and run up each time, regardless of the
maintenance schedule. I certainly cannot remove the cowl and inspect
the security of the spark plugs ;-\

Why not? The cowl on most types comes off with no tools. When doing
checkouts with new club members, I often pull the cowling and show
them what's underneath.

I've been flying C172 N and M models, and at least on the specific ones
that I've used, you must remove a number of screws.

Also, the club I've joined is geared toward student and low-time pilots,
and has several 'rules' whose primary purpose is in keeping the inexperienced
from getting into trouble - so I assumed they would not be to happy to see
one of the members pulling the cowl and poking around inside.

Of course, if you're providing club check-outs, you probably have more
latitude in this area than a general member would? In my club, for example,
the CFIs have a key to the office, while as a member I do not.

To be honest, I haven't asked if pulling the cowl is against the policy
at my club.


I certainly wouldn't launch into anything but day-vfr for the first
flight after major maintenance, and even then, I like to circle the
airport a couple of laps while climbing to a good altitude.

That's good advice, of course.


--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

On 27 Feb 2006 10:43:05 -0800, three-eight-hotel wrote:

I tend to agree, and it only reinforces the three words to live by,
according to Jim... But, assuming you don't do an owner assisted
annual, how much is too little? i.e. Gene's post on plugs not even
being in finger tight...

Plug wire fell out on me INFLIGHT. I went to pick up a passenger at a
neighboring airport (10 nm). Runup was perfect on take off from my home
airport. My preflight is like the first time I ever flew the plane, and I
am the owner of the plane.

Nary a word from the engine until I went to start up the engine, taxied out
and mag check failed. Taxied back, A&P came out, decowled the plane and
sure enough one wire out, another one hanging by a thread.

This was one hour after I took the log books from my A&P after annual.

Allen

"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I just got out of a $1900 annual, and stopped by, on Friday, to gas
the plane up for a flight to happen this week... I tried to start the
plane up (Cessna 172), and it never as much as sputtered. The battery
was well charged and it turned over, and over, and over, and over...
Never fired though!?!? I tried for about 5 minutes, and ended up just
leaving it, for the mechanic to look at.

I called this morning, and they are still looking at it. He said, for
some reason, the left mag is dead. He's supposed to call me this
afternoon, when he has something definitive.

I've never had a problem starting this plane (with the exception of a
low battery), and was quite surprised to encounter something like that,
immediately after an annual... It would have been different, if it had
occured during regular useage, but when you go to pick up your airplane
from annual, you are expecting it to be in as tip-top shape as it can
be.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? The mechanic said the plane was
started and running after annual, so is this just a major coincidence?
Is it true??? Are we all just test pilots, when we pick our planes up
from an annual?

Thanks for any input.

Todd


I make the shop prove to me that everything in the airplane works after
every time they touch it....when I'm satisified that my plane is back to
par, then I'll offer to pay the bill.

How long does it take to prove it to you?

Who is paying for the mechanics time while he/she is doing this?

Do you make an appointment to pick up your plane, or simply show up and
interrupt whatever is already going on?


"John Doe" wrote in message
news:8GHMf.43236$Dh.21362@dukeread04...

I make the shop prove to me that everything in the airplane works after
every time they touch it....when I'm satisified that my plane is back to
par, then I'll offer to pay the bill.

"Steve Foley" wrote in message
news:wQHMf.5807$Gw2.3489@trndny03...
How long does it take to prove it to you?


Depends on what they were working on. If they were working on the engine,
they're going to do an engine run with me at a minimum, sometimes a local
flight. I don't think I've ever taken more than an hour of their time.

Who is paying for the mechanics time while he/she is doing this?


They are, if they value my continued business. If not, there are plenty of
other shops that are more than willing to work on my plane.

Do you make an appointment to pick up your plane, or simply show up and
interrupt whatever is already going on?


I always make an appointment. I would think showing up unannounced would be
quite rude.

"John Doe" wrote in message
news:qLKMf.43256$Dh.29053@dukeread04...

Who is paying for the mechanics time while he/she is doing this?


They are, if they value my continued business. If not, there are plenty
of
other shops that are more than willing to work on my plane.


Although they may not include the time on your bill, in one way or another,
you are still paying for at least a part of it. If they consider the time as
overhead, it gets built into the hourly rate, and spread among (amongst?)
all of their customers. If they 'value your continued business' they should
build it into the bill. That way, the customer who merely shows up and picks
up their plane isn't paying for the time the mechanic spends with you.

Although there are plenty of shops around here willing to work on my plane,
there aren't many I am willing to let work on my plane.

For my type of ownership, I agree with Jim W. Owner assisted annuals are the
way to go.

John Doe wrote:

I make the shop prove to me that everything in the airplane works after
every time they touch it....when I'm satisified that my plane is back to
par, then I'll offer to pay the bill.

Oh, that's a good idea. That way if there's something wrong that might kill you,
at least you won't have paid for it.

"Dave Butler" wrote in message
news:1141068677.930206@sj-nntpcache-5...
John Doe wrote:

I make the shop prove to me that everything in the airplane works after
every time they touch it....when I'm satisified that my plane is back to
par, then I'll offer to pay the bill.

Oh, that's a good idea. That way if there's something wrong that might
kill you, at least you won't have paid for it.

Wow. What's the cause for hostility? Did I insult you somehow?

If there is something wrong (that might kill me or not) I'm not paying the
shop a cent until I'm satisfied with their work.