Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes Thinking about buying this plane...

Chris, I just noticed $112 oil changes on your spreadsheet - you can do your own oil changes, you know. Well sort of. As long as you are cleaning a filter or checking a chip detector (i.e., magnetic drain plug) (both allowed activities by owners), then the oil will necessarily drain from the engine in the process. Owners can top up their own oil :-)

I'll keep looking at that spreadsheet. Interesting because the numbers are higher than I expected. I'll have to see where we are different.

Matt,
All of my flying has been in 152s (1981) with "pre-sets" on the navcoms (I still don't know what they're called). After 90 hours and flying in snow, rain, cross country's when a plug needed clearing 70 miles from the FBO, air so smooth that I thought something was wrong with the plane, something like 50 stalls (03M stalls ride - hard right, and 92Q is typically better behaved), engine and power outs in the dark, deer or fox on the rwy during solo landings, stuck mics with 3 nearby airports on the same freq...well you get the picture. They have been there for me (and been kind too), so I guess I'm partial.

The AP owner actually offered to sell me 92Q, but when I ask him now he doesn't really answer.

Here's the full AOPA document.

P.S. That Aerobat in this months Newsletter has me losng sleep.

Yeah, I now have the full story since I joined this club.
A lot of owner maintenance can be done. I was surprised.

My last annual was about $2,500, but I had them do some extra stuff (that he said it would need next year). One thing I learned for sure, look at the airframe as carefully as the engine. While shopping for a 150 or 152, I was mainly concerned with the engine time. In the end, I actually bought the plane with about 1600 SMOH and 550 STOH. Note that many O-200s will need a top end around 1100 hours and you will see them for sale like that. The mechanic is convinced that this one will go well past TBO safely. There are never any guarantees and I've heard of engines needing overhauls well before then.


The last owners sank alot of time and money into the plane(mostly the airframe) and it's been good so far. Don't forget the paperwork. I paid about $500.00 to have her weighed for a new W&B.

As for other expenses, you will WANT to spend more than you can on airplane stuff It pays to shop around. Last week I bought a battery that was $105.00 complete including shipping for Aircraft Spruce. It was $175.00 (plus $16.00 for acid) at a local airport...and you can do some of the mantenance yourself. There hasn't been any unexpected expenses so far....knock on wood. 40S lives in the cheapest hangar at the airport and I think it is well worth the extra expense even if I have to drag a couple planes out of the way sometimes to fly. The last owners hangared her, too.

Not that I know of. The engine manufacturer defines what an overhaul consists of, and Continental says that the required replacement of certain parts and overhaul of certain accessories, among other things makes it an overhaul.

http://www.tcmlink.com/pdf2/SB97-6.pdf

You would have to do all of the work at the same time and sign it off that way, otherwise you have a bits and pieces repair of the engine (IRAN, inspect and repair as necessary). Not saying that is a bad thing, just that it is NOT an overhaul.

Charles

Ummm...guys...does this mean if you have a quick drain and not a magnetic plug you are not allowed to change your oil? I would hope that I could drain and refill the oil to make sure no contaminates enter the oil when you replace the oil filter. Actually, in the FAQ section on owner maintenance, I don't see where you can even top off your engine oil.

Matt, another factor in buying vs. renting is that love is blind. Once you buy your 150/152 and fall in love with it you won't even keep track of how much you spend, becuase owning it is Priceless. I only wished I bought sooner. I spent 20K on rental and instruction in a year and then realized I should buy. Flying is an addiction, How bad do you have it?

It's in FAR Part 43 Appendix 'A'. Hereya go:


(c) Preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is limited to the following work, provided it does not involve complex assembly operations:
(1) Removal, installation, and repair of landing gear tires.
(2) Replacing elastic shock absorber cords on landing gear.
(3) Servicing landing gear shock struts by adding oil, air, or both.
(4) Servicing landing gear wheel bearings, such as cleaning and greasing.
(5) Replacing defective safety wiring or cotter keys.
(6) Lubrication not requiring disassembly other than removal of nonstructural items such as cover plates, cowlings, and fairings.
(7) Making simple fabric patches not requiring rib stitching or the removal of structural parts or control surfaces. In the case of balloons, the making of small fabric repairs to envelopes (as defined in, and in accordance with, the balloon manufacturers' instructions) not requiring load tape repair or replacement.
(8) Replenishing hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic reservoir.
(9) Refinishing decorative coating of fuselage, balloon baskets, wings tail group surfaces (excluding balanced control surfaces), fairings, cowlings, landing gear, cabin, or cockpit interior when removal or disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is not required.
(10) Applying preservative or protective material to components where no disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is involved and where such coating is not prohibited or is not contrary to good practices.
(11) Repairing upholstery and decorative furnishings of the cabin, cockpit, or balloon basket interior when the repairing does not require disassembly of any primary structure or operating system or interfere with an operating system or affect the primary structure of the aircraft.
(12) Making small simple repairs to fairings, nonstructural cover plates, cowlings, and small patches and reinforcements not changing the contour so as to interfere with proper air flow.
(13) Replacing side windows where that work does not interfere with the structure or any operating system such as controls, electrical equipment, etc.
(14) Replacing safety belts.
(15) Replacing seats or seat parts with replacement parts approved for the aircraft, not involving disassembly of any primary structure or operating system.
(16) Trouble shooting and repairing broken circuits in landing light wiring circuits.
(17) Replacing bulbs, reflectors, and lenses of position and landing lights.
(18) Replacing wheels and skis where no weight and balance computation is involved.
(19) Replacing any cowling not requiring removal of the propeller or disconnection of flight controls.
(20) Replacing or cleaning spark plugs and setting of spark plug gap clearance.
(21) Replacing any hose connection except hydraulic connections.
(22) Replacing prefabricated fuel lines.
(23) Cleaning or replacing fuel and oil strainers or filter elements.
(24) Replacing and servicing batteries.
(25) Cleaning of balloon burner pilot and main nozzles in accordance with the balloon manufacturer's instructions.
(26) Replacement or adjustment of nonstructural standard fasteners incidental to operations.
(27) The interchange of balloon baskets and burners on envelopes when the basket or burner is designated as interchangeable in the balloon type certificate data and the baskets and burners are specifically designed for quick removal and installation.
(28) The installations of anti-misfueling devices to reduce the diameter of fuel tank filler openings provided the specific device has been made a part of the aircraft type certificate data by the aircraft manufacturer, the aircraft manufacturer has provided FAA-approved instructions for installation of the specific device, and installation does not involve the disassembly of the existing tank filler opening.
(29) Removing, checking, and replacing magnetic chip detectors.
(30) The inspection and maintenance tasks prescribed and specifically identified as preventive maintenance in a primary category aircraft type certificate or supplemental type certificate holder's approved special inspection and preventive maintenance program when accomplished on a primary category aircraft provided:
(i) They are performed by the holder of at least a private pilot certificate issued under part 61 who is the registered owner (including co-owners) of the affected aircraft and who holds a certificate of competency for the affected aircraft (1) issued by a school approved under Sec. 147.21(e) of this chapter; (2) issued by the holder of the production certificate for that primary category aircraft that has a special training program approved under Sec. 21.24 of this subchapter; or (3) issued by another entity that has a course approved by the Administrator; and
(ii) The inspections and maintenance tasks are performed in accordance with instructions contained by the special inspection and preventive maintenance program approved as part of the aircraft's type design or supplemental type design.
(31) Removing and replacing self-contained, front instrument panel-mounted navigation and communication devices that employ tray-mounted connectors that connect the unit when the unit is installed into the instrument panel, (excluding automatic flight control systems, transponders, and microwave frequency distance measuring equipment (DME)). The approved unit must be
designed to be readily and repeatedly removed and replaced, and pertinent instructions must be provided. Prior to the unit's intended use, and operational check must be performed in accordance with the applicable sections of part 91 of this chapter.
(32) Updating self-contained, front instrument panel-mounted Air Traffic Control (ATC) navigational software data bases (excluding those of automatic flight control systems, transponders, and microwave frequency distance measuring equipment (DME)) provided no disassembly of the unit is required and pertinent instructions are provided. Prior to the unit's intended use, an operational check must be performed in accordance with applicable sections of part 91 of this chapter.

I also spoke with Rick Hestilow, who some of you likely remember as the creator of the TOPCAT program (topcat.com), which is an STC that allows an owner, with 24 hours of training, to complete a whole lot more maintenance than that listed in Part 43. Stuff like alternators, starters, mags, etc... Virtually anything that doesn't involve opening the crankcase.