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Current DAR fees

lcnmrv8r

Active Member
I'm trying to get an idea of what it will cost me for my inspection. I've spoke to the FSDO and they don't seem interested in doing the inspection. No time, no money,... Anyway, what have you guys that have had them done lately been paying?

Thanks
 
My fee for RVs is $450 plus travel expenses.
I've certificated approximately 700 RVs since 1999.
 
I'm trying to get an idea of what it will cost me for my inspection. I've spoke to the FSDO and they don't seem interested in doing the inspection. No time, no money,... Anyway, what have you guys that have had them done lately been paying?

Thanks

Can they do that? Aren't they there to serve you, the taxpayer? Granted, they can put you off some time but can they outright refuse to offer that service?

Sure sounds a lot like user fees to me.
 
FSDO

I talked to a FSDO inspector yesterday who said they were out of travel money and the inspectors were mostly 'inspecting by phone' rather than visits.

I charge $450. It's a hassle and the travel, paperwork, liability, training, etc are not free! But, working with RV'ers and giving back to aviation makes it worthwhile!
 
FSDO vs DAR

In anticipation of flying my -9A in the next 6 mo or so, I asked a local FSDO guy I met at a QB meeting (no I don't have the required 500 hrs - I was just a guest) about inspecting my project.

He said they could get me in right away just about anytime I wanted.

I was a little surprised because I had always heard there was a months long wait time.

I think for the money I'm going the FSDO route.

Dave
-9A finish kt
 
I charge $450.00 and that includes travel within Michigan. If there is a need for me to travel, I will usually work something out with the builder to share in my fuel costs and fly my RV-6 to the inspection.

Ted Gauthier, DAR
Detroit, Michigan
RV-6
 
Can you wait a few weeks?

Seth,

With LOE right around the corner, I'm sure there will be more than a few DARs attending.

Maybe you could talk one into flying in a day early or leaving a day late, pick up the tab on their hotel for the night and through in some gas money and get it inspected then?

Sorry your having a hard time finding someone.
 
This thread is making me think I should charge more.

I charge $75 / hour for 8 hours. 3 hours paperwork and FAA interfacing before I see the airplane. 2 hours at the airplane doing the inspection. 3 hours paperwork and FAA paperwork closeout after the inspection is over. $600. I give a $100 discount for CASH and another $100 discount if I do not have to make a 2nd trip back. Travel is free in the LA Basin. Pay for time or fuel beyond that. I do not advertise it but ACTIVE MILITARY are FREE.
 
Holy crow! There's 6 hours of paperwork for you?

Is that the typical amount of time an inspection takes: A couple of hours?

How often do you find something that needs correcting and then do you come back a second time and do another inspection and is that charged extra?

I was thinking a few hundreds bucks so I'm kinda surprised to see $500 listed.

This is an expensive sport! I wonder if the Army will take a 55 year old has-been so I can get a discount? ;)
 
9-10 hrs is not out of the ordinary.

I typically take about 3 hours on the inspection itself. I've done it in a little as 2 and as much as 4. If I have to come back, I only charge travel expenses for the second trip. The rest is paperwork and getting things copacetic with the FSDOs. Since I do a lot inspections outside of my "area", I have to coordinate everything with the local FSDO.
 
Question: Does a stack of receipts for Tech Counselor visits make any difference to a DAR and the final inspection?

Although it is certainly not required, it gives the inspector a "warm fuzzy" about the quality of your aircraft. It shows that you are conscientious about getting all the assistance available.
 
DAR

The main thing to consider with a DAR selection is service. Do they truely inspect the plane and can you get service after the inspection if needed.

-d-
 
'homebuilt' DARs?

Just curious; what happened to the special 'homebuilt' DAR program that EAA was talking about a while back? They were pitching it as 'free plus expenses'. It's obvious that any travel at all could quickly run up a $500 travel expense, but the idea was to have them available in enough areas that the expenses shouldn't be too great.

Charlie
 
It's...

called free enterprise, business for the economy, payoollaaa.... a good thing. Mel did my inspection and he is D*a*m*n Good!!! If not the BEST. These pencil wippers for a fee need to be removed from the system. MEL actually inspected my plane.
 
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DAR confession?

I see a number of comments regarding EAA free DAR inspections, and comments about price, etc. As Mel mentioned, as DAR's we actually do a lot of behind-the-scenes wrok, both prior to and subsequent to the inspection. I also sense sometimes there is this "chase" to find the DAR who only cares about the paperwork so one can get through the inspection easily. I have to tell you that I avoid the "shoppers." At the end of the day, I have to live with myself, and face myself on the mirror. So yes, I make sure the paper work is OK, but I also want to know that I did my best to insure someone will have a safe first flight. I can't tell you the number of inspections I have done that have had ALL of the nuts missing on both elevators, jamnuts missing on flight control rods, cotter keys missing from wheel axle nuts, and other potentially serious flight safety issues I discovered AFTER the person has signed a completed checklist and told me that they have had numerous people inspect the airplane, and listed all of the credentials from A&P's, AI's, and Tech Counselors. Am I better than them? NOPE. I am just another set of eyes, with a huge responsibility, and I take it seriously.
And I walk the same talk I do. I have always had many people come and look over my airplane with a fine tooth comb prior to inspections, including our resident Designated A&P Examiner. And for ALL of my airplanes, the inspections have been flawless.
BUT, let me tell you a story. For my last one, an RV-7A, the local MIDO for whom I am a DAR, decided that they would use my Airworthiness Inspection as a training session for 3 of their Inspectors. This was after I had many people look it over, including a couple of A&P's, AI's, and the resident A&P DE. The Inspectors spent a couple of hours, including one who was determined to find something. He finally quit and remarked that this was the first time he had seen 3 Inspectors not be able to find something wrong with an airplane! Guess What? 10 hours later, at the time of the first oil change and total cowl pulldown, I knew I wanted to check the gascolator, so I went to the toolbox and grabbed the safety wire cutters, because we all know that the 4 screws that hold the gascolator in place are safety-wired. RIGHT? Guess what? NONE of mine had any safety wire!!!! I was REALLY taken back and, and actually quite shaken up, realizing how many people had missed this. I stopped dead in my tracks and couldn't move for a bit.
We are all human, and no matter how good we are, we can all still miss something. I think chasing a price for a DAR is being way too frugal at the end of a very expensive project. I only charge travel if I HAVE to come back, but I work really hard with the person such that we can get everything fixed so I don't have to come back. But I know I want a DAR to check mine who won't trust anything I have done, because I know I can miss something.

Vic
 
Amen....

Vic! That's the probem we have in my area. One DAR here states: " have an A&P sign off that they have inspected the plane and I'll show up and review the plane and finish the paperwork". This is BS, if you love yourself and the plane you built, spend the small change and have it TRUELY inspected.
 
called free enterprise, business for the economy, payoollaaa.... a good thing. Mel did my inspection and he is D*a*m*n Good!!! If not the BEST. These pencil wippers for a fee need to be removed from the system. MEL actually inspected my plane.

Hmmm... Were you replying to my question about the EAA's program? If so, I don't see the relevance.

I have no problem with free enterprise, and no dog in the hunt about pencil wippers (sic). I also have no problem with offering, and receiving, assistance for 'free', in homebuilt aviation. Isn't that what happens on this forum?

Charlie
 
Your stimulus package is on he way...



Hmmm... Were you replying to my question about the EAA's program? If so, I don't see the relevance.

I have no problem with free enterprise, and no dog in the hunt about pencil wippers (sic). I also have no problem with offering, and receiving, assistance for 'free', in homebuilt aviation. Isn't that what happens on this forum?

Charlie
 
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Most...

EAA programs have gone down the toliet. The EAA program is no longer what it was intended to be and in the near future does not look like it well return. A very sad deal!
 
EAA programs have gone down the toliet. The EAA program is no longer what it was intended to be and in the near future does not look like it well return. A very sad deal!

EAA provided $700 grant toward $1,400 of expenses to go through the TSI / FAA training if the DAR would volunteer FREE for 2-years.

I for one can make more money on the weekend at my day job than I can doing FREE inspections. I only have so much free time. If you want my free time, you will need to compensate me for that time with money.

I like Vic would rather NOT get involved with those that want to cut corners. I want the airplane COMPLETE and airworthy when I show up. I desire to try and find un-airworthy items. ONE applicant (not an RV) took 4 visits and over 10 hours of my time at the airplane. I even talked to Joe Norris at EAA on if I had grounds to deny the applicant. I did not and after all the minimum airworthiness items were meet, it was signed off.
 
dar inspections

Over the years i have test flown many new RVs over 100. And even after all the Tech Counselors, Dars ,Faa inspectors, and everybody else get done doing there inspections i always get my own chance at a full inspection prior to test flying a new plane. I would never consider flying a new plane without inspecting it. My advise to everyone looking for a cheap inspection would be dont. The people looking for cheap inspections may not be getting off cheap if something were to be missed and cause a mishap it would not be cheap any way. I agree with everything that Vic and Gary said. It is rare for me to find an airplane that something has not been over looked. I am no super hero either i am just another set of eyes and i am betting my life on doing my best to make sure everything is right. I wouldn't cut any corners in this stage of the build this is when you need your best inspection. 600 Dollars seems like a pretty small amount to me. Michael Seager
 
It's like a breath of fresh air...

...to listen to Mel, Gary and Vic...(hope I didn't miss a contributing DAR) and their professionalism! I've seen pencil pushers here performing the ultralight to E-LSA licensing...they never even looked at the airplanes....it was disgusting, since I too, had a real DAR inspect my-6A, took hours as it should.

I'm very proud of you guys standing up for the right way to go about your business.

Regards,
 
EAA programs have gone down the toilet. The EAA program is no longer what it was intended to be and in the near future does not look like it well return. A very sad deal!

I'm not sure how you figure "most EAA programs have gone down the toilet". EAA's DAR program was described in a previous post by Gary Sobek. Just because many of the DARs have decided to start charging for their services does not mean the program "went down the toilet". It just means that the fee enterprise system works.

I continue to provide airworthiness inspections for expenses only (not totally "free", but close) because I find enough value in the liability protection provided by the Volunteer Protection Act to make it worth my while. Since there is no insurance available for DAR work, I will take the financial penalty of providing inspections without charging a fee and call it insurance premiums.

There are some other DARs who continue to provide inspections as "volunteers" under the EAA banner, and some who originally did so have chosen to start charging a fee. It's totally up to the individual DAR as to whether to charge or not, and how much to charge. I don't see how this freedom of choice makes the EAA program "go down the toilet".

EAA continues to provide support for new DAR applicants, and continues to provide the opportunity for DARs to make the choice of either going the volunteer route or charging a fee. The fact is, EAA's work on this program was the vehicle that provided a new path to help get more, and more knowledgeable, inspectors in the field to help homebuilders get quality inspections in a timely manner. If that's "going down the toilet" then I guess I need a snorkel!!

Cheers!

Joe
 
I guess you didn't take the time to read my post:

"called free enterprise, business for the economy, payoollaaa.... a good thing. Mel did my inspection and he is D*a*m*n Good!!! If not the BEST. These pencil wippers for a fee need to be removed from the system. MEL actually inspected my plane".


-d-





I'm not sure how you figure "most EAA programs have gone down the toilet". EAA's DAR program was described in a previous post by Gary Sobek. Just because many of the DARs have decided to start charging for their services does not mean the program "went down the toilet". It just means that the fee enterprise system works.

I continue to provide airworthiness inspections for expenses only (not totally "free", but close) because I find enough value in the liability protection provided by the Volunteer Protection Act to make it worth my while. Since there is no insurance available for DAR work, I will take the financial penalty of providing inspections without charging a fee and call it insurance premiums.

There are some other DARs who continue to provide inspections as "volunteers" under the EAA banner, and some who originally did so have chosen to start charging a fee. It's totally up to the individual DAR as to whether to charge or not, and how much to charge. I don't see how this freedom of choice makes the EAA program "go down the toilet".

EAA continues to provide support for new DAR applicants, and continues to provide the opportunity for DARs to make the choice of either going the volunteer route or charging a fee. The fact is, EAA's work on this program was the vehicle that provided a new path to help get more, and more knowledgeable, inspectors in the field to help homebuilders get quality inspections in a timely manner. If that's "going down the toilet" then I guess I need a snorkel!!

Cheers!

Joe
 
These pencil whippers for a fee need to be removed from the system. MEL actually inspected my plane".

Agreed 100%! Mel is definitely one of the good guys, and he is also a great ambassador for EAA and the homebuilt movement.

As for the pencil whippers, bad on them. While they technically meet their legal responsibilities (barely) they do nothing to promote and encourage safety.

I promise you'll get a good inspection from me!! :)

Cheers!

Joe
 
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