Get a ferry permit, or just fly it?

If you've got a small problem with your plane, do you bother with a ferry
permit, or do you just fly it if you think it's safe?

Hypothetical: Say your (shared) plane has gotten some damage, say for
instance a wingtip strobe/nav light assembly got scraped off against a
hangar while it was being towed. Say that the wires are secured with duct
tape and the person who did the damage flew it home like that. Also say
that the company that does the work on your plane isn't at your home
airport. Would you wait for a good VFR day and fly it over to that
company, or would you go through all the hassle of getting a local
mechanic to inspect it and apply for a ferry permit?

--
Paul Tomblin http://blog.xcski.com/
"I have a step-ladder. It's a very nice ladder and all, but I wish I had
the chance to get to know my real ladder." - Paula Poundstone

Although the situation as you describe it does not seem to be one of
airworthiness in a practical sense, I have stayed out of trouble for many
years by asking myself "How will this decision sound at the inquest?" There
must be a mechanic somewhere nearby who could assess the damage and give you
a better answer.

Bob Gardner

"Paul Tomblin" wrote in message
...
If you've got a small problem with your plane, do you bother with a ferry
permit, or do you just fly it if you think it's safe?

Hypothetical: Say your (shared) plane has gotten some damage, say for
instance a wingtip strobe/nav light assembly got scraped off against a
hangar while it was being towed. Say that the wires are secured with duct
tape and the person who did the damage flew it home like that. Also say
that the company that does the work on your plane isn't at your home
airport. Would you wait for a good VFR day and fly it over to that
company, or would you go through all the hassle of getting a local
mechanic to inspect it and apply for a ferry permit?

--
Paul Tomblin http://blog.xcski.com/
"I have a step-ladder. It's a very nice ladder and all, but I wish I had
the chance to get to know my real ladder." - Paula Poundstone

Paul Tomblin wrote:

If you've got a small problem with your plane, do you bother with a ferry
permit, or do you just fly it if you think it's safe?

Fly it.



Hypothetical: Say your (shared) plane has gotten some damage, say for
instance a wingtip strobe/nav light assembly got scraped off against a
hangar while it was being towed. Say that the wires are secured with duct
tape and the person who did the damage flew it home like that.


Fly it.


Also say
that the company that does the work on your plane isn't at your home
airport. Would you wait for a good VFR day and fly it over to that
company, or would you go through all the hassle of getting a local
mechanic to inspect it and apply for a ferry permit?


Fly it.

Newps wrote:
Paul Tomblin wrote:

If you've got a small problem with your plane, do you bother with a ferry
permit, or do you just fly it if you think it's safe?

Fly it.

I agree. Interestingly, I was involve in an FAA "altercation" a little
while back. The C-182 that the FBO rents out got an onsite inspection
by the FSDO and failed. All of us CFIs who taught in the plane got
called to the carpet for not taknig off inspection covers before flight
(or something stupid like that). Interestingly though a few pilot who
also happen to be FAA ATC's didn't get called at all. Seems like the
FAA takes care of their own??

-Robert

Robert M. Gary wrote:


Interestingly though a few pilot who
also happen to be FAA ATC's didn't get called at all. Seems like the
FAA takes care of their own??

They may have had their interview at the tower.

Hypothetical: Say your (shared) plane has gotten some damage, say for
instance a wingtip strobe/nav light assembly got scraped off against a
hangar while it was being towed. Say that the wires are secured with duct
tape and the person who did the damage flew it home like that. Also say
that the company that does the work on your plane isn't at your home
airport. Would you wait for a good VFR day and fly it over to that
company, or would you go through all the hassle of getting a local
mechanic to inspect it and apply for a ferry permit?

Wingtip strobe is not a structural part and is not required for day VFR
flight. No structural damage so safety of flight is not an issue.

Newps wrote:
Paul Tomblin wrote:

If you've got a small problem with your plane, do you bother with a ferry
permit, or do you just fly it if you think it's safe?

Fly it.



Hypothetical: Say your (shared) plane has gotten some damage, say for
instance a wingtip strobe/nav light assembly got scraped off against a
hangar while it was being towed. Say that the wires are secured with duct
tape and the person who did the damage flew it home like that.


Fly it.


Also say
that the company that does the work on your plane isn't at your home
airport. Would you wait for a good VFR day and fly it over to that
company, or would you go through all the hassle of getting a local
mechanic to inspect it and apply for a ferry permit?


Fly it.

Does this hypothetical pilot have enough education to
determine that there is no hidden damage? Wingtip damage sometimes
results in wing root damage, particularly at the aft spar. A bashed
wingtip might be ready to come loose in flight and foul an aileron,
especialy those cheap plastic tips found on so many airplanes. If most
pilots saw the light structure inside most light aircraft, structure
that was designed for flight loads, not ground abuses, they'd think
again about "just flying it." Been there, done that, lived to tell the
story.
I would imagine that ferry permits were created to protect
people from themselves.

Dan

wrote:
Newps wrote:
Paul Tomblin wrote:
Does this hypothetical pilot have enough education to
determine that there is no hidden damage? Wingtip damage sometimes
results in wing root damage, particularly at the aft spar.

I guess that's one argument. However, you can take anything to an
extream. Hitting the nav light plastic cover with the hanger door
wouldn't seem too important to most of us. In the end a pilot must make
his own determination. There is probably not a plane in the air that
the FDSO couldn't ground for one reason or another. Pilots must use the
best common sense they have.

I would imagine that ferry permits were created to protect
people from themselves.

My bet is that the permits were created as a legal loophole so the FSDO
couldn't strand your plane in some remote area that wasn't capable of
performing the required maintenance. Once the FAA uses the
"unairworthy" word a pilot is otherwise stuck. Those of us who have
done some bush flying have had situations where we've needed to fly
"unairworthy" planes out of remote areas. I've had insurance companies
pay me to fly planes that have had illegal field repairs (although done
by licensed IA's) that would have required major alteration 337's to
otherwise fly out of very remote areas (or countries), especially when
flight controls have been damaged and repaired.

-Robert

Robert M. Gary wrote:



My bet is that the permits were created as a legal loophole so the FSDO
couldn't strand your plane in some remote area that wasn't capable of
performing the required maintenance. Once the FAA uses the
"unairworthy" word a pilot is otherwise stuck. Those of us who have
done some bush flying have had situations where we've needed to fly
"unairworthy" planes out of remote areas.

Absolutely. And some of us just don't care. Helped a buddy who taxiied
his Cub into a hole that bent one of the prop blades. We used a 5 pound
mallet and a wooden wheel chock to pound it more or less back into shape
so he could fly it the 30 miles back home. He said it vibrated pretty
good on the way back home but who cares?

Newps wrote:
Robert M. Gary wrote:


Interestingly though a few pilot who
also happen to be FAA ATC's didn't get called at all. Seems like the
FAA takes care of their own??

They may have had their interview at the tower.

That could be.