Rick6a
Well Known Member
The current classified ad describing a plan to part out a Bonanza prompts me to write this. Several days ago, a local pilot forgot to lower the landing gear on his recently purchased Bonanza.
A salvage hoist was called in. While waiting, I counted 21 slash marks on the runway centerline.
Many hours later, we had that Bonanza back up on its wheels.
After the FAA and almost everybody else left, I quietly helped the owner wheel the bruised Bonanza back into his hangar. The prop is trash and the engine will have to be disassembled, that's obvious. I inspected the lower skins closely and surprisingly, little obvious damage exists other than the belly mounted antennas and nose gear doors, but therein lies the rub. Upon superficial visual inspection, the Bonanza was ultimately declared a total loss. A big reason why the Bonanza was deemed totalled are those nose landing gear doors. The doors are not complicated in assembly and any experienced RV4 builder could cob together an acceptable replacement in less than a day of basic sheetmetal work. Nevertheless, the owner was told those doors cost $4000 each. Thats $8000 for maybe $50-$200 in materials cost. Throw in the labor to remove and replace those itty bitty "BEECHCRAFT" doors and you could buy a couple of standard RV subkits! Upon learning that news, another local Bonanza owner thought it prudent to increase his insurance coverage.
Bottom line for me is this..... experimental aircraft are the pointing the way towards sanity and affordability in the world of general aviation. The world of certificated airplanes has gradually morphed into a grotesque caracature of excess and lawsuits and greed. RV's rule!
A salvage hoist was called in. While waiting, I counted 21 slash marks on the runway centerline.
Bottom line for me is this..... experimental aircraft are the pointing the way towards sanity and affordability in the world of general aviation. The world of certificated airplanes has gradually morphed into a grotesque caracature of excess and lawsuits and greed. RV's rule!