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Maintenance Reminder and the Paperwork Trail


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Hi All,

 

This couldn't be a more important subject. I'm starting to see some people going through problems and extra money and it all comes down to poor paperwork.

 

Just a quick reminder. the 2007 CT's are and have been due for hose change and the 2006 CT are due for parachute re-packs and or any 2006 CT's that failed to get their hose change. I believe there were more 2007 models sold than 2006, but only by a few. I believe in 2006 there was over 100. I know there are a lot of 2006 CT's that have not done the firewall blanket and that should have been done with the hose change and saved you a chunk of change.

If you fail the hose change then you get out of airworthy and then the FAA may care if you have an incident and then the insurance people if you have a claim. They will both want to see your logbooks and skipping items and poor logbook entries will cost. These people aren't dumb.

 

 

Just a reminder on how important paperwork really is.

I know of someone who had a major engine malfunction with an exhaust lifter. No damage to anything else. This Rotax 912ULS engine had 833 hrs and was a 2006. Well out of warranty. Due to the better than average paperwork on the engine and inspections, plus oil analysis every 100 hours Rotax approved a new engine within about 48 hrs. The new engine would have been over $18K, but Rotax had him pay only $7200 for a brand new engine. The warranty paperwork demanded the whole logbook be copied and sent in. Someone will want to see sooner or later and it won't be at your convenience.

I just saw a logbook on a CT that had come from out of California with 2-3 inspections and the complete entry was maybe 2-3 sentences long. That's a sin. The morale of this story is keep good paperwork and keep it current. Failing to do things like hose change, opting out to save a buck on an SB and allowing substandard paperwork from a mechanic never pays off and may cost bigger bucks in the end.

 

Each inspection the owner should get back in their possession: a discrepancy list of things found and the corrective action taken, a Rotax engine check list out of the Rotax Line maint. manual signed off on each item, an FD checklist signed off on each item and finally a reasonably long 100 hr / Annual Condition logbook label documenting everything that was done. If it isn't written in the logbook it is considered not done by the courts and insurance company even if it manages to skate legally by the FAA. You should expect and demand a more professional paperwork trail. It makes a huge difference.

These poor logbook labels cost you extra money as the next mechanic doesn't know what has been done so he may duplicate the maintenance which comes out of your pocket again.

The really big issue is it can and has cost sellers $5k-$10 off your asking price because of sloppy or poor records that came from a mechanic and he isn't going to loose one red cent for laziness.

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Yet another pontification by the "Safety Officer". Back when I was in grade school, my 4th grade teacher told us that an anonymous statement was worth nothing. Roger, if this is your sockpuppet, please just identify yourself. Then your statement can be taken in that context. For now, I'll go with what my 4th grade teacher said.

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I concur with what Jim said. And, Safety Officer of what? Of this board? Certainly not of FD or Rotax. So far, what I've seen from Safety Officer is mostly pulpit stuff. Nothing wrong with expression and opinion or suggestion, but this board is frequented by many who are new to aviation, light sport or Flight Design. A title such as Safety Officer gives the impression that some official or noteworthy point is to be made from the perspective of the board manager.

 

As used, the title invites questions as to the motives and competence of the poster, and I can't believe that furthers the intent of the board owners, Roger et. al.

 

 

 

 

 

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From his post he looks like he may be up on the items he comments on. Unless everyone here on the forum has a picture of themselves and their creds what do you really know about any of us? ;)

 

Precisely - none of us use a title that has a general meaning in our aviation community. Some of us use a signature which gives credentials and can be checked. In any event, if Joe Blow or Sam Smith says something, we all expect to consider it and make a judgment as to it's value. If a forum board Safety Director says something, the new person to the site might have an immediate tendency to assume it had been given clearance by the board owner.

 

Safety Director perhaps should add a signature that says, "Hey, I'm just a cute cur and don't assume that my title means I know anything."

 

 

 

 

 

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I just got Woofmail. dry.gif

I think he has the numbers, schooling, years experience and has published tech articles on the web about Rotax engines and associated LSA maint..

 

And he has the numbers and schooling covered: (more upon request)

FAA 3359235

FAA 3118720

RFSC 020001140220-07

RFSC 030001140220-07

RFSC 040001140223-06

ADEM 907514

CWP 26637244 (teeth are so over rated)

VIP 463054043407

Tags 35907

 

 

ph34r.gif (Double O Dog)

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Hi Scott,

 

I have heard of and read about only a few. These stories bounce around the web and it may seem like more. They are electronic modules so heat and vibration can play a factor in their life. These engines have been in production since late 1989 and they like any engine with 4 million plus flight hours and tens of thousands in the field have had some parts failures, but the modules for the most part have been fairly solid. I suppose anyone of us could have one of these fail, but it's a redundant system. If one fails the other will still be firing and it will run all four cylinders so you can fly some where. That's what we are checking during our mag drop. We are switching off on ignition module.

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Safety Officer, Admin, Admin2, Social Director...these are all just (1) person, a person with many hats. I agree with 319CT's comments concerning in Safety Officer however.

 

Their isn't anything in there that Roger hasn't warned or schooled us on all of this already. That is why his ranking is "Master Star Fighter" :rolleyes:

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I just got Woofmail. dry.gif

I think he has the numbers, schooling, years experience and has published tech articles on the web about Rotax engines and associated LSA maint..

 

And he has the numbers and schooling covered: (more upon request)

FAA 3359235

FAA 3118720

RFSC 020001140220-07

RFSC 030001140220-07

RFSC 040001140223-06

ADEM 907514

CWP 26637244 (teeth are so over rated)

VIP 463054043407

Tags 35907

 

 

ph34r.gif (Double O Dog)

 

That's a lot of "dog tags"!

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Hi Guys,

 

The reason this gets brought up occasionally is because too many aren't getting it done and it is just to help. There were a little over 100 last year to do and a little over 100 this year to do. Some have not kept up because they are new to the CT and some have chosen to do something different. Who knows. The only reason someone brought it up now is many too many owners have left themselves hanging out in the wind and if any thing happens it may be a lot more expensive then compared to now. Technically if you failed to do it then your aircraft isn't airworthy and if a mechanic signs it off anyway then it's void since it is out of airworthy.

Not getting this done also puts all your mechanics at risk. Since it is mandatory to be done and then walks in an unsuspecting mechanic and signs off on an annual after the fact then you hung his license out in the wind too. Technically he shouldn't sing your plane off for the annual.

These are nothing more than friendly reminders for all my CT friends and to help educate the new owners and jog other old timer memories.

p.s. This doggy in the window only has 60 post. He's a piker compared to many posters here.

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It sounds to me like if you have done your hose change and or parachute then your good to go and these messages would seem to benefit the guys up and coming. Hec, Humpty Dumpty could write a post and if it's accurate then what difference does it make. If you know it to be an accurate post and if it doesn't affect you then it may help the next guy.

 

 

The idea and function of our website is to help all new and old owners alike and to bring the CT community closer together in camaraderie. To post help in all areas that pertain to our ownership and to educate, inform and solve problems. Who it comes from is absolutely unimportant. When I read a post from someone I don't know it doesn't matter so long as the info is good, makes since and helps someone or is just fun to read or watch a flight video. It takes all of us to make our little CT world turn and I haven't met nor do I know any creds on each person, but they are there helping and that's good enough for me.

 

Go take a look on the biggest Rotax website in the world. www.rotax-owner.com

Look at the website tech articles in the blog. The author is only "Rotax Owner".

 

That author could just as easily been Double O Dog ph34r.gif (aka Safety Officer) and you would never know and I bet you believe him..smile.gif

No one is over there beating that guy up.

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It really boils down to the fact that it's the owner/operator/PIC responsibility to ensure his/her aircraft is kept in an airworthy condition and safe for flight and follow applicable regulations. This forum is just a place to share experience, advice, and just have fun, how you use that advice and experience is up to the owner/PIC to decide and interrupt if it fits into the regulations that govern us. I don't feel that the term "safety officer" has any more weight in this venue then "double o dog" or "new guy" , it's still just an owners forum for us all to share.

 

 

The only thing I didn't like about the safety officer when I met him was he chewed on my poor CT tires! Luckily they were getting swapped out anyway, but I didn't like how he was eying he new ones. And he drools a lot!

 

 

2 cents

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I concur with what Jim said. And, Safety Officer of what? Of this board? Certainly not of FD or Rotax.

 

Jim, Jim, and everyone.

 

Esso ( "Esso" is his call name, "Safety Officer" is his show name and he only answers to Esso ) holds the informal title of Safety Officer OF THIS BOARD.

 

Fictitious names are the norm with forums like this but you can tell that Esso is the real deal because of his Admin status. Anyone with Admin status speaks for this web site unless they are giving what is obviously opinion. For example there are differences in opinions on landing techniques.

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Hi Jim's,

 

I don't think the Safety Officer is who you think. He stopped over at my field once in Mississippi. He was very helpful in getting my engine running smoothly.

 

Eddo, that guy gets around alot, doesn't he?

 

I first met him at Page in 2008. A month and a half later, I ran into him on the ramp at KCRE in Myrtle Beach, SC. I was changing the oil in my CT, getting it ready to start heading back west. Guess who walked up? He was heading down to Orlando to take care of some business for his Mom, and had stopped at KCRE for fuel. I'd had the firewall blanket put on a few weeks earlier, and he was pretty disgusted with the way that the shop had done it. They had left the edges a mess, and said they should of changed the position of the fuel line where it came through the firewall while they had the engine off. Both things had to be taken care of by Roger Lee later. Also told me if I had any problems with EGT readings that I should trim the header wrap away from the probes.

 

The guy knows his weather too. He said I should follow him down to Orlando, where I could at least enjoy some time for a week, rather than be delayed a lot heading west. Offered to let me stay at his Mom's condo, right on a great golf course. I didn't take him up on it, as my stuff was back at the motel, and I needed to wash clothes later. I was planning on heading to New Orleans the next day, figuring I would be delayed for a couple days there due to weather. Wouldn't you know it, but I couldn't make New Orleans, and was ended up grounded in Jackson, MS for 3 full days due to weather. Had further two day delays in Carlsbad, NM and Yuma, AZ on the way home as well. Wish I would of gone to Orlando.

 

After I left Jackson, MS, I had to make a precautionary landing when one of my EGT readings was showing really high. Trimming the header wrap away from the Dynon probe fixed the issue.

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I was in Caldwell Idaho and was having an issue with vibration and he fixed me up with one of the better carb balances that I have had----quick too.

 

Tom

 

I heard that he can do carb sync's with just some hose and his water dish. Is that true?

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I once saw him in Roswell... and wasn't surprised to hear the military controllers at White Sands asking if they could use his airspace. I'll never get used to controllers asking him to pick his own squawk code. :wacko:

Tim

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Went to KSME to the Somerset A & P school for a refreser and ran into the safety officer there at his home field. We were both there to bone up on Maint. & paper work. Never know who you will run into. Anyway great resturant overlooking the lake. One of the instructors went with us and the dicussion turned to paperwork and the lack of. Basically we agree on that we can save money and not buy insurance, because without the correct paperwork the insurance company will be able to not pay a claim. So why have insurance then ?

Safe landings,

Bob

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