[az_gila]

VAF members,
I would like to make a specific note of thanks to the vendors, large and small, that aid us in parts and supplies for our homebuilts following this recent occurrence.

This last weekend, I was looking for some NAS1097-3-6 rivets for an upcoming Grumman tail repair (not mine... ...)

Aircraft Spruce didn't list them, and Genuine Aircraft Hardware's web site was down.... So I did a Google search on the part number and came up with several commercial supply houses that list it... "just place a Request For Quote" on-line.

I put a RFQ out Sunday night, Tuesday morning I got a quote back for $250 for 200 rivets - yes $1.25 each! - no certifications, just "New, Old Stock"

I wrote back for a confirmation, and got this...

Yes, Reminder that there is minimum orders and the price break is at 1000 units

As a point of reference, I found Wicks list the -8 length at $4.25 for 1/8 lb. (360 rivets) - $250 would get you over 20,000 rivets with no price breaks!

At that price, I'll trim the -8s down to -6s

So a big thanks to all of those suppliers, big and small, who will deal in small quantities and have reasonable minimum orders to help us build our RVs

gil in Tucson

-- or perhaps the title should be "Welcome to the world of certified aviation"....

 

[Ironflight]

-- or perhaps the title should be "Welcome to the world of certified aviation"....

Or perhaps "Goodbye to the world of certified aviation"....which is what I said when I flew my -8 for the first time and sold my old Grumman..... When the parts guys at Fletchair told me that I was doing the right thing by getting rid of my AA1B (because they ere out of certain critical spares), I knew I was better off with experimental!