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