Inspection Questions

mark manda · #1 02-01-2006, 06:53 PM

I'm trying to dot my I's and cross my t's. Talked to my FAA Inspector--Gene Sweet out of Fresno,CA. A few details I didn't talk with him about--

What do I need to log or do in regards to my ELT with the Duracell D batteries? sticker on ELT? expiration March 2012.

I have a bunch of stuff I wasn't going to label -- trim, throttle, prop mixture, alternate air, parking brake, computer keyboard plug,baggage limit-- and I see lots of planes without these-- comments?

Registration-- he said a copy of a registration is alright for the inspection but the actual Registration must be in the plane before operating-- I've got a copy in the plane right now.

Flight plan? I requested a test area; is the flight plan something else? You mean turn left, slow flight etc?

It seems like the FAA already has all my paperwork in hand except build logs,logbooks and my Application for a Repairman's Certificate.

I called Megahertz to come over on Friday to do a TPX, pitot static check.

I assume I enter a throttle leakage modification in the aircraft log and the engine log? Or should first entry in Aircraft log be my "condition inspection.?"

I need to find a Compass Card.

Any help or suggestions appreciated. I'm also checking out a few sites with inspection details. got links?

mark

jarhead · #2 02-01-2006, 07:55 PM

Re: your ELT batteries...

FAR 91.207 requires ELT battery replacement "When 50 percent of their useful life (or, for rechargeable batteries, 50 percent of their useful life of charge) has expired, as established by the transmitter manufacturer under its approval." (quoted straight outta the FAR; italics added by me)
Also required is an annual inspection and operational check of the ELT, and the battery recharge/replace date "legibly marked on the outside of the transmitter". A nicely-printed sticker on the ELT will satisfy the requirement.

I assume the 3/2012 date is what Duracell put on the batteries; does your ELT's documentation mention anything about a battery replacement interval? If not, I'd consider making ELT battery replacement part of your annual condition inspection. D batteries are cheap IMO - I wouldn't hold them to the date Duracell provides in this application. I don't know what the Feds will push for since it's an experimental A/C, so take this with a grain of salt... they don't teach rules for homebuilts in A&P school, so I'm learning all this too.

As far as a logbook entry goes, something along the lines of:
Placed (insert model here) ELT, serial no. xxxxxxxx, into service on xx/xx/2006. Installed in RV-x Nxxxx, aircraft serial no. xxxxx, time 0.0hrs. {your choice of Hobbs, tach, airframe - pick one and stay with it for ALL entries} New batteries installed, proper operation verified. Battery replacement date xx/xx/2007 (or whatever timeframe you decide on).
print & sign
repairman #
xx/xx/2006
would look good to me as an A&P.

When you say you need a "compass card", are you referring to a compass correction card for a wet/whiskey/standby compass? You can whip one of those up in Excel in about 10 minutes; that's how our Avi shop did them when I was in the Corps...

That's my 2 cents... hope it helps.

robertahegy · #3 02-01-2006, 08:00 PM

Dittos on what Jarhead wrote.

As far as lables. Buy a cheap label maker, mark everything for the inspection, remove what you don't want later.

Roberta

az_gila · #4 02-01-2006, 08:54 PM

As far as a logbook entry goes, something along the lines of:
Placed (insert model here) ELT, serial no. xxxxxxxx, into service on xx/xx/2006. New batteries installed, proper operation verified.
Battery replacement date xx/xx/2007 (or whatever timeframe you decide on).
print & sign
repairman #
xx/xx/2006
would look good to me as an A&P.

Ahh... but he's not a repairman yet.... doesn't that get issued later?
Sign it as builder for now...

gil in Tucson

jarhead · #5 02-01-2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by az_gila

Ahh... but he's not a repairman yet.... doesn't that get issued later?

That's one of the MANY things I still don't know for certain about this process. Isn't the builder supposed to make the first "airworthiness statement" in the airframe logbook before the first flight?

mark manda · #6 02-01-2006, 10:24 PM

thanks. i just bought a Aircraft Logbook today and there's nothing in it and scratching my head...

thx.

jarhead · #7 02-01-2006, 10:43 PM

No problem. Log entries are something I've never had problems with.

When you're trying to figure out what info to put in the logs, remember that the Feds don't like reading "fluff" in log entries, but they DO enjoy seeing part #'s and serial #'s of removed and installed items, and times when work was done (Hobbs time, airframe time, tach time). They like torques too... just make sure you're using correct torque specs if you put them into your log entries.