Still in Shock

My Archer is in annual and I ask the A&P to check on replacing the trim
switch on the yoke. It has been getting a little hard to get it to
activate in the "down" direction.

He just called and said Piper wanted about $325 for the SWITCH. I
looked in Aircraft Spruce and a non PMA switch is about $25.

Manual trim isn't that bad but it seems a shame to lose a function
because of "attempted rape".

Chuck

Chuck wrote:

Manual trim isn't that bad but it seems a shame to lose a function
because of "attempted rape".

I don't know how much actual instrument flying you do, but in my Bonanza,
which is flown quite regularly in the Northeast US IMC, the trim wheel is
just low enough on the panel that it makes flying without a trim switch in
IMC a tad uncomfortable.

Last week my pitch computer of the AP was removed by avionics for some
maintenance. Not only did they INOP the AP, but they also disabled the
electric trim. On a round trip flight to across New England in IMC I
discovered how much I really missed that switch.


--
Peter

Chuck wrote:
My Archer is in annual and I ask the A&P to check on replacing the trim
switch on the yoke. It has been getting a little hard to get it to
activate in the "down" direction.

He just called and said Piper wanted about $325 for the SWITCH. I
looked in Aircraft Spruce and a non PMA switch is about $25.

Looks like Piper is starting to take pricing hints from Raytheon.

In a simular situation, I know people who have pulled the switch, found
the product number and original manufacturer of it and went pawing
though their favorite electronic parts catalog (Mouser, Allied, etc).
Found an exact match, but the price was only a couple of dollars.
Approved part? Absolutely not. Could anyone ever tell the differance?
Absolutely not. Would *I* ever actually use such a thing? Oh, no, never.
Not me. My 57 year old plane has completely factory authorized parts on
it and I challenge anyone to prove otherwise.

I don't have electic trim. Never have had it. Unlike Peter R. with his
Bonanza, I don't find using the trim wheel difficult in my Bonanza. On
the other hand, I suspect he has a lot newer plane than I do.

--
Frank Stutzman
Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
Hood River, OR

Frank Stutzman wrote:

Unlike Peter R. with his
Bonanza, I don't find using the trim wheel difficult in my Bonanza. On
the other hand, I suspect he has a lot newer plane than I do.

1973 V35B. And, as a reminder, I was referring to hand flying in IMC with
the manual trim wheel.

--
Peter

Peter R. wrote:
Frank Stutzman wrote:

Unlike Peter R. with his
Bonanza, I don't find using the trim wheel difficult in my Bonanza. On
the other hand, I suspect he has a lot newer plane than I do.

1973 V35B.

And mine is a 1949 A35. There are quite a bit of differances in the
Bonanzas over the years.

And, as a reminder, I was referring to hand flying in IMC with
the manual trim wheel.

As was I. I'm one of those scary guys who flys a high performance single
IFR without even (*gasp*) an autopilot. I must confess, though, that I
tend to keep the IFR flights on the relatively mild side.

--
Frank Stutzman
Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
Hood River, OR

Frank Stutzman wrote:

As was I. I'm one of those scary guys who flys a high performance single
IFR without even (*gasp*) an autopilot. I must confess, though, that I
tend to keep the IFR flights on the relatively mild side.

IMC the entire route from Syracuse to Boston Logan airport, on an Angel
Flight with a hesitant mother and child as passengers? Single pilot I
must confess that I prefer an AP.



--
Peter

1973 V35B.

And mine is a 1949 A35. There are quite a bit of differances in the
Bonanzas over the years.

Differences such as "piano keys" for switches? :-))
I'll bet you play that panel pretty well.

john smith wrote:
1973 V35B.

And mine is a 1949 A35. There are quite a bit of differances in the
Bonanzas over the years.

Differences such as "piano keys" for switches? :-))
I'll bet you play that panel pretty well.

For the typical Bonanza that is the same vintage as mine, thats true.
However, some former owners of my plane spent way too much time and money
redoing the panel.

See:
http://www.stutzman.com/frank/flying/n494b/panel_b.jpg

I've carried on the tradition with some avionics upgrades (a Garmin 430,
audio panel and a JPI), but they were added after the above picture
was taken. I've been in one of those with the piano keys, but never have
flown one.

--
Frank Stutzman
Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
Hood River, OR

Gee, I'm not sure why are you surprised. I just paid $400 for a $2
piece of rubber for my Mooney.

He just called and said Piper wanted about $325 for the SWITCH. I
looked in Aircraft Spruce and a non PMA switch is about $25.

Even $25 is way too much. As an A&P and practicing engineer, I would
never suggest that you simply pull the switch out, find one that looks
and functions the same (good sources include Mouser, Digikey, and
Newark), and install it. After all, that would not be an approved
part, so you would not be able to make the proper logbook entry.

Remember, safety is all about complying with the regulations. And you
can't spell complying without lying.

Michael