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-   -   FAA says I can't do maintenance, etc (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=114508)

RV-4 06-26-2014 10:02 AM

The last words
 
Vete 76

I always have the last two words with my wife or the FAA ( MOT in my case..)

Wife: Yes Dear..

MOT: Yes Sir..

Then keep on doing exactly what I was doing in the first place...:D

They think they're in control and I'm happy....

Good Luck with Godzilla..

Bruno

VETE76 06-26-2014 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skykingbob (Post 891938)
PLEASE contact the FSDO.....stop the pain for the next guy:( there is nothing they can do to you and trust me.....theyWILL inform the inspector!!!:cool:

I sent him an email asking him to please explain what he was trying to tell me in more detail in case I was misunderstanding him. I told him he had me thoroughly confused by the time he left. I will let you know.
fred

grubbat 06-26-2014 01:43 PM

Option
 
Fred,
You could invite him back out to your hanger and remove that prop like you said you wanted to do and let him write you up. Then you could reinstall that prop, get in the airplane, and fly it in front of him. When you land, and the authorities put you in the county jail, you could write to us and let us know how it goes and then we could all post how he was wrong. That would be kinda fun, at least from here. :)

Seriously, I would take the short and simple route, use Mel's advise and politely have him read that reg Mel listed. Its pretty simple and to the point.

cj

KatieB 06-26-2014 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvbuilder2002 (Post 891675)
And in the context of this discussion (what work you can and can't do on you r RV-7), when he turns to FAR 43, have him first read part B of 43.1 which says...

"(b) This part does not apply to?

(1) Any aircraft for which the FAA has issued an experimental certificate, unless the FAA has previously issued a different kind of airworthiness certificate for that aircraft; or"

So, anything he would refer to in 43 (it regulates who can do what on certificated aircraft). does not apply.

Bottom line...

Anyone, can do any work (whether they should is a whole other discussion) on an aircraft with an experimental airworthiness certificate. The repairman's certificate only authorizes you to do the annual condition inspection.

I can sort-of see where a new FAA inspector could get tripped up here. If he's not familiar with EAB and he's only read the reg that pertains to the Repairman's Certificate, then it does appear that the only thing the repairman can do is the condition inspection. Which is correct, the only privilege the repairman's certificate gives you is the condition inspection. Your inspector clearly does not know what Scott said here, which is that you don't need any type of certificate to do maintenance, repair or alteration of an experimental aircraft. Which is pretty obvious, since anyone with a pulse can legally build one, and I'll bet he'll feel really stupid when someone finally points that out.

jrs14855 06-26-2014 03:41 PM

FAA
 
The geographical dividing line for FSDO's, at least the ones in upstate Ny, are along county lines. The dividing line between Albany and Rochester FSDO is the Onondaga/Madison county line. The OP lists a Syracuse address, but I believe he listed a private airport near Chittenango for aircraft home base. The airport location appears to be in Albany FSDO.
May years ago I had considerable personal experience with both FSDO's. Rochester was superb, Albany not quite as good.
I took my first Part 135 PIC checkride with the manager of the Rochester FSDO. he had a reputation for being very demanding. I should have failed the checkride, instead he gave me an incomplete and had me come back a few days later and repeat just one non precision approach.
A few months prior I had taken my instrument and multi check rides on two consecutive days with a Rochester FSDO Inspector and passed both.
I also was working as an apprentice mechanic for an FBO in the Rochester FSDO area and met both ops and Maintenance inspectors on a regular basis.
The principal maintenance inspector did the condition inspection on my EAB on two occasions.(pre repairman program). After the first inspection he handed me a small form that authorized me to take the A&P tests. I did not ask for this, he simply did it. Technically he should have issued only the Airframe portion.
This was the era when the FAA Inspectors were truly there to help. Today things have gone about as far as possible in the opposite direction.

jrs14855 06-26-2014 03:53 PM

FAA
 
Prior to the time in my previous post, I became acquainted with a gentleman from a different FSDO in the Northeast. Although this person is long gone, I will not name the FADO out of respect for him. he was a neighbor for several years. I was building my first EAB and he was also build an EAB.
I did no have a phone at the time and I would show up at his house unannounced. We would go down in his basement where his airplane project was and sit and talk airplanes, sometimes for several hours.
I was in my early 20's, he was probably mid 50's, a very experienced pilot. He always treated me as an equal. It was many years later that I found that he was manager of the FSDO(then GADO) office.
He was the one who volunteered-the (then) 50 hour test requirement is nonsense. Test the airplane thoroughly for 20 hours. If there are no problems, hook up a drill motor to the recording tach and run it to 50 hours.
I took his advice. I always tell people that the FAA recommended two pilots to help me complete phase one. Their names were Mr. Black and Mr. Decker. Although I never met either of them, they helped me completer 50 hours of testing in just two weeks. They always left the airplane full of fuel and the windshield clean.
A true story from the 60's.

jrs14855 06-26-2014 04:55 PM

FAA
 
While this has been an interesting discussion, if nothing was provided in writing to the OP, it is a non issue. Pretend it did not happen and move on. I have been working on EAB for over 50 years, MANY encounters with the FAA, airshows and competition events. never had an issue with the FAA about maintenance or paperwork issues on EAB. Certified aircraft, an entirely different story. FAA ramp check, the FAA was looking at a pilots shoulder strap that looked like it had been chewed in half by a rodent. FAA very timidly asked me what I thought he should do. I said I think you should ground the airplane. I then added, "you know if I grounded the airplane for that I would probably get fired". He grounded the airplane. The only time in three years that I couldn't stop laughing when I called my boss.
For about 1 1/2 years I parked one building away from the FAA FSDO office. A very entertaining and educational period of time.

rbibb 06-26-2014 05:50 PM

Of the FAA told me I couldn't do maintenance of probably consider it a compliment.

RV7A Flyer 06-26-2014 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VETE76 (Post 892049)
I sent him an email asking him to please explain what he was trying to tell me in more detail in case I was misunderstanding him. I told him he had me thoroughly confused by the time he left. I will let you know.
fred

You know, the complete illogicality of his statements *ought* to hit him square in the face when he thinks about it:

Only an A&P can do work on an EAB (including, presumably, all the things done at an annual inspection), but then said A&P would let his work be signed off by someone with "only" a Repairman's Certificate at annual?

What would possibly be the point of there even *being* such a thing as a Repairman's Certificate, then?

DonFromTX 06-27-2014 07:08 AM

Trust me! He is in a position to know what the FAA will do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krw5927 (Post 891941)
Bob, it sounds as though you know for a fact that the FSDO will coordinate with and convey the correct information to this inspector once a call is made. Because many of us are clueless about the inner workings of the FAA (myself included), and some of us have even had the opposite experience (again, myself included), would you mind sharing how you know they'll do the right thing in this instance?



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