Carl,Carl,Carl!!! Someone could show you a picture of Faith Hill or Cindy Crawford and all you could say is that they have snot in thier nose!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />--Peace Brother!!!---TIM
It is a mechanics business to find what is WRONG with something, not what is right. That simply is the nature of a mechanic, I do the same thing, found myself doing this at Thomasville last year, lots of nice airplanes, and I was down on my hands and knees looking for what I could find wrong, ignoring how nice they were.
You don't pay your mechanic to tell how right your airplane is, just that there is, or is not, something wrong with it.
I wish I had said it first (I'll use that in the future)!
You're right, Benjie! I was looking at the noise filter, although the loose screw did puzzle me (it should've slapped me in the face with a red flag). He must've been using battery power alone, unless the master was kept off!
Oooooh so true. I have had corporate (non-owner) pilots say, I don't care what it looks like on the right (non-entry) side, just make sure it looks Absolutely Fabulous on the left side for the owner. Of course my anal-ity would not permit such an imbalance . . .
'75 C150M/150 . N45350 Pitch for Speed ; Power to Climb
I started this thread with my new purchase of C-150M N45291. Thanks for all of the nice responses I have received. The "shine sells" was the most cynical response. Perhaps it does and the implication there is that while it may look pretty, "rot lingers". Well not in this case .
The plane is in for a comprehensive annual after being bought from an AP/IA owner who did the annual on pre-buy. Was that a mistake? Probably, but perhaps not this time. I think I might have lucked out. An annual by an AP/owner is probably not the right thing to do. Many of these APs just don't understand a C-150 or if they do, just don't understand enough. They might work on bigger or more diverse aircraft and just don't have the eye for the misquito.
Anyway, to bring you up to date. The airplane has not received any really major squawks, with a few days to go, but I do believe the prop will come up as there is no credible history on it. That's a shame since it looks so good, but I will bite that bullet.
The maintenance shop let me visit her this weekend and I spent two days checking her out. They had taken off the coverings to the landing gear and I sanded off the gear and primed it, while listening to tunes on the radio. It was a great feeling...she just has this smell.
This is my first airplane. I have been a private pilot for over 35 years renting all kinds of stuff. The plane is mine and I can take it anywhere I want and for as long as I want and no one else will have the opportunity to relieve themselves in her without me seeing it (UGH). I have waited a long time for this and no one will take this away from me.
For the new buyers, this is a great rush, but you don't want the rush to lead to disappointment. If you have a pre-buy annual or inspection, do it at your local FBO so you can daily watch the progress. It is very important.
For the other members, I must say that this experience with the Forum reminds me of hanging out on CB radio in the early '70s when you would discuss something and others would trail off on to something else totally unrelated like they were in another world. It's cool, it's aging, what can we do about it? Not much, I think. Take your aspirin each day. Pretty funny.
Did you find the loose fasteners in the belly in the landing gear structure? or the extremely worn rudder bar bearing blocks? or the missing rudder cable tension spring?
We are not trying to bad mouth the airplane at all, and I can find something wrong with any airplane. What is a bargain to one is a bad deal to another. We all have different opinions of what is acceptable and what is not. You now have a VERY nice looking airplane, no doubt, and overall, in reasonably good mechanical condition. Its just that when I did a prebuy on this airplane, the potential buyer decided it wasn't for him.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, mechanics look for what is wrong, not what is right. Sadly, I don't get very excited over nice airplanes any more. I do get excited over one that I cannot find any discrepancies with, however.
My nit-pick... The oil cooler adapter plate, the one you remove when you install your F&M oil filter adapter, the upper stud has been replaces by a bolt, and why is there a bonding/ground strap on the lower stud? There should be a provision for grounding at a stud on the lower motor mount boss. -Brian I agree with Chuck, I like to find things wrong on a plane- CONFORMITY and CONDITION.
Don't let us get you down on your new plane! The way the thread developed, it was inevitable that some things would be pointed out that may need attention. That by no means makes this a poor purchase. Quite the contrary, in fact! Considering how easily the minor discrepancies listed in this thread can be repaired, I think you've made an excellent purchase. As Charles so correctly stated, mechanics aren't paid to tell you what's "right" with your plane, and whenever you get a free look-see that points out something to correct, it's really a bargain! Nothing anyone has said was intended to degrade you or your airplane, and we are all very happy for you. Much of what was said here is 'tongue-in-cheek' banter. We couldn't find any serious problems, so we picked on the minor ones, much the same as we pick at any of our friends.
I am a mechanic, as are many of us here, and we know that all aircraft have discrepancies, no matter who owns them or works on them, or how "shiny" they appear to be. It is our job to find those discrepancies, the "rot" if you will. Even some of the mechanics among us are flying airplanes that still have many more discrepancies (and perhaps more serious discrepancies) than will be discovered and corrected on your new bird during this annual.
Welcome to the club (you've been initiated now) and welcome to the sometimes bittersweet realm of aircraft ownership. You will have ups and downs with us (and your plane), but you're part of the family, now! You'll always find the truth of friendship here. Please remember that friends do sometimes give unwanted advice, but that's what friends are for! right? Enjoy!
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