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Tad Olmsted

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About Tad Olmsted

  • Birthday 05/19/1972

Profile Information

  • Location
    Sebring/ Clearwater,FL
  • Interests
    A&P specializing in LSA
  • Gender
    Male

Contact Methods

  • Yahoo
    tad6123@yahoo.com

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  1. Assuming you have an SW or early LS with a single fuel valve by the key. If you were flying with a list (unnoticed) all the fuel went to the lower fuel cell then the higher wing ran low enough that the pick up started sucking air. Once air is in the lines it gets locked up and is slow to recover. This may be why it didn't keep the engine running after you banked to put the empty wing lower. On the ground, it probably self leveled between the tanks with the engine off and not sucking air. I have seen this many times over the past 10 years of working on CT's. This is why the new models have a "left/off/right" fuel selector.
  2. A mechanic CAN ground an aircraft, but the pilot CAN still fly it. The mechanic does not own the aircraft and he cannot tell the pilot what to do. I have seen it first hand and the FAA was notified. They were at his place of business the next morning with documents in hand and pulled his ticket.
  3. Jim, You are right on the money. If I find something unairworthy it is my duty to inform you. It is written that I found it unairworthy and gave the owner/operator a list of infractions and signed off the logbook as unsatisfactory. A mechanic CANNOT tell you to NOT fly your aircraft, but instead inspect it and report his findings. I have never had this happen because my customers trust me and when I find something they know I'm not "manufacturing extra work".
  4. As long as the work being done is in direct line of sight and supervised by the mechanic certificated can MX be performed. With the exception of "preventitive MX" spelled out in part 43. Kudos to your mechanic Dick, sounds like a keeper.
  5. I, as an A&P see first hand at what Jim is getting at. It is a slippery slope trying to decipher what is required to be changed and what is not. I want my customers coming back because they got the best service at the best price. However, and most importantly, this is my livelihood. I don't have a farm or another source of income to fall back on in case something happens. If I miss something, and God forbid something happens, I will be found NEGLIGENT !!! And I just don't look good in government stripes. Here is the bottom line guys: Get your work done by a reparable mechanic that won't spend all week doing what guys like Roger and I can do in a day or two. We can R&R an engine and get a superior job done a lot faster than some mechanics who have only done one or two. We can R&R an engine and do a 5 yr rubber replacement faster than if we leave the engine on. Seriously, 6 bolts and the wire harness along with the carb cables, fuel line to the gascolator and the cabin heat tube and that baby is swinging on the hoist. I don't even have to remove the prop or drain the oil or coolant. Finally in closing I will use my super intelligent grammar and leave you with these wise words a farmer told me when I was growing up in rural farm country of southern Illinois.... " WHY POKE A SKUNK BOY " Point taken
  6. Here is how I do it, above and beyond the typical 5 year: I pull the engine and replace the rubber engine isolators OH carbs (with new diaphrams and viton needles) Replace all fuel lines behind the firewall Repitch prop I do a little more than required, but now is the time to do some items while it is down for heavy MX. I do the whole job for $2800.00 material and labor. My shop rate is $75.00 and I am fully insured
  7. Tad Olmsted

    ME

  8. Tom, you are correct. Changing the flaps to -12 is not in compliance with LSA. -12 is what they use in Europe. I have a few customers who's planes always come in with the flaps at -12. I have to put them back to -6. For some reason they keep going back to -12, HMMMMMMMMM. Changing the flaps back only takes a few minutes. I bet it would only take 20 minutes to change them to -12..........if we were in Europe.
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