X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com X-Junk-Score: 13 [X] X-SpamCatcher-Score: 13 [X] Return-Path: Received: from nm1.bullet.mail.bf1.yahoo.com ([98.139.212.160] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 6.0.1) with SMTP id 6039019 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:05:17 -0500 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=98.139.212.160; envelope-from=echristley@att.net Received: from [98.139.212.145] by nm1.bullet.mail.bf1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 31 Jan 2013 18:04:41 -0000 Received: from [98.139.211.197] by tm2.bullet.mail.bf1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 31 Jan 2013 18:04:41 -0000 Received: from [127.0.0.1] by smtp206.mail.bf1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 31 Jan 2013 18:04:41 -0000 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=att.net; s=s1024; t=1359655481; bh=x6W9KpXNrVuGFBlfZyBSkiGv5u9rAsRqhkjTjIcOeNg=; h=X-Yahoo-Newman-Id:X-Yahoo-Newman-Property:X-YMail-OSG:X-Yahoo-SMTP:Received:From:Content-Type:Subject:Date:Message-Id:Cc:To:Mime-Version:X-Mailer; b=lJcYqFofEDKluk1nGBaG8aqcTu3Kk2xVbLpksPMZ+MBEnWqsRrfqsV/XH42yF8tOC9P1Cn8IVWaCb0BKRVMSXNV0mNkTTXcDEmhXbCzieb7k6SeqCdM4W2ok9Xty85A7iTQHhdo/Qs5MV1e64hBCYmiMK2RBoIBKtbOk2r63cNc= X-Yahoo-Newman-Id: 300572.59282.bm@smtp206.mail.bf1.yahoo.com X-Yahoo-Newman-Property: ymail-3 X-YMail-OSG: IZnPK24VM1mycqmA3CEeTNULu6G.A6D3nhHPHxnX.9frRCU Qq6LyEaG1lTc8Rj2bi8_0VRaaf2PxgfqetjUCVngSegrFimRH.fC9vKUnpSI nx9IKBW9RIiuY99RcdmMTxBWoHByYZu4P8pParbfxOhmSkcH9TTrdwydqzzY WcG_lMxq8sOg30os8TCBA.wLYrXgsNQfsteaT3YuIQ6XgYUC4leyBTkQwEBs qjGBBxyZheh0nFtGnGtSAODpv5dMtUG8NjDFgMHKc9myzeN0qMWGo6QR7yLS ApP6LXzglPA1O8XvUxfkMZwQ2AbdMU4_eWrDnY.dNUc0_3Cz8AjmvOlttuqk _Vrqj_RTHT2AUC_pZUM5GUm.WjezJqREkbdRYqM8_rxpOelp4wu.Otn71GvW VrbmwYYa7HU3xKh7RvluJHZsI7LtSoKfqV9hyZVBHQwy5Y5OHqMAX.adUnaW NLDtq2lEbP3TS6tYzwE3vzg-- X-Yahoo-SMTP: 40RP3pGswBDvPav1a.I8eMv.KS8bdgWBnCloVoKaow-- Received: from [10.63.221.139] (echristley@216.240.30.5 with plain) by smtp206.mail.bf1.yahoo.com with SMTP; 31 Jan 2013 10:04:41 -0800 PST From: Ernest Christley Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_3EACAC69-17E1-4194-887C-F93746DCA9E7" Subject: Anatomy of a failed AW inspection Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:04:40 -0500 Message-Id: <6DE338B5-2521-4EE4-A050-942BBF5C45A4@att.net> Cc: Dawn Christley To: Rotary motors in aircraft , dykedelta@yahoogroups.com Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1283) X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1283) --Apple-Mail=_3EACAC69-17E1-4194-887C-F93746DCA9E7 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii As many of you know, I called the Greensboro FSDO and scheduled an = Airworthiness=20 Inspection. It was originally scheduled for last Friday, but got = postponed due to inclement weather. Wednesday turned out to be a shirt-sleeve day, = and perfect for an inspection inside a large, open hangar. When I called = for the=20 inspection, I was expecting to get a date a couple months out. The = quickness of the schedule took me by surprise, but being the gung-ho guy I am, I = went for it. Three inspectors showed up. Mike Foster, who I had been working with, = and seemed mostly concerned with paperwork. Tim, who did most of the = hardware inspection. And Mark, who seemed to enjoy looking at airplanes the = most. Don't bother to bring donuts and coffee. Those guys were there for hard line business. Wish I could get my $23 back from Dunkin Donuts. Coffee was crap anyway 8*) They want the airplane in a state where they can write you the AW and = you can immediately taxi it out to fly. Tim seemed to imply that any modifications after issuing the certificate would require contacting the FSDO and flying another 40 hours. I found that a bit drastic, and I'm still not sure how it will work out (If I add a nose wheel fairing, do I have to go back into the test flight area for 40 hours? How about if I change my intercom? Does the simplest of issues requiring correction during flight testing require the clock to reset?). Tim's approach was reasonable, so I'm sure it will all be fine. I had a LOT of cotter pins missing and nylock nuts that weren't = tightened down. Most of this was due to not wanting to waste cotter pins and = nylock nuts on parts that needed to be constantly removed during the building process. I probably would have caught most of them if I'd had two = months between when I called for the inspection appointment and when they came out, which is what I was expecting. "We can be there Friday" took me by surprise, and in retrospect I should have explained my expectation and begged for more time. Then I could have gotten several pre-inspections and have been ready. Recommendation: Get several pre-inspections so = that you are ready. The biggest deficiency, by far, was that I do not have my final = propeller. My "first attempt" prop has some shop rash on it (tow bars are rough on propellers when you don't remove them before cranking), and I was quite open with the fact that I had no intention of flying with it. That was = a clear violation of the "ready to fly" rule, and when I think about it a moment, a clear violation of common sense. The point of the Phase 1 is = to make sure the major parts of the airplane are working properly together. The point of 40hours instead of 25 for non-certified prop/engine combinations is to make sure they work together in particular. How can you test them together, when they obviously haven't been fabricated? = Duh. At the end, Mike was wanting to write the Repairman's Certificate for = me. All the pictures I've taken during the build process running as a slideshow on a laptop whil the inspection was going on made it clear = that I had built this contraption. I could tell that Mike didn't want to = leave me empty handed; but, he needed the airplane's certification date for = that form, so he was blocked. I point that out to say that these guys = actually WANT to give you the legal pass to go fly. My project was simply NOT ready to be called an airplane. I've got a list of fixes to complete. That give me some focus to punch through and git 'er done. It won't be long now. This would have only = taken one visit if I had: 1) Lined up some pre-inspections by people who had been through this = before. 2) Been honest with myself and asked for more time to get things = complete. 3) Understood beforehand that "complete" means "completed". --Apple-Mail=_3EACAC69-17E1-4194-887C-F93746DCA9E7 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
As many of you know, I called the = Greensboro FSDO and scheduled an Airworthiness 
Inspection.  It was originally = scheduled for last Friday, but got postponed due
to inclement weather.  Wednesday = turned out to be a shirt-sleeve day, and
perfect for an inspection inside a large, open hangar. =  When I called for the 
inspection, I was expecting to get a date a couple months = out.  The quickness
of = the schedule took me by surprise, but being the gung-ho guy I am, I = went
for it.

Three inspectors showed up.  Mike Foster, who I = had been working with, and
Don't = bother to bring donuts and coffee.  Those guys were there for = hard
line = business.  Wish I could get my $23 back from Dunkin = Donuts.  Coffee
They want the = airplane in a state where they can write you the AW and you
can immediately taxi it out to = fly.  Tim seemed to imply that any
modifications after issuing the = certificate would require contacting the
FSDO and flying another 40 hours.  I found that a = bit drastic, and I'm
still = not sure how it will work out (If I add a nose wheel fairing, do = I
have to go back into the = test flight area for 40 hours?  How about if I
change my intercom?  Does = the simplest of issues requiring correction
during flight testing require the = clock to reset?).  Tim's approach was
reasonable, so I'm sure it will all be = fine.

I had a LOT of cotter pins missing and = nylock nuts that weren't tightened
down.  Most of this was due to not wanting to = waste cotter pins and nylock
between when = I called for the inspection appointment and when they came
out, which is what I was = expecting.  "We can be there Friday" took me by
surprise, and in retrospect I should = have explained my expectation and
begged for more time.  Then I could have gotten = several pre-inspections
and = have been ready.  Recommendation: Get several pre-inspections = so that
you are = ready.

The biggest deficiency, by far, was = that I do not have my final propeller.
My "first attempt" prop has some shop rash on it (tow bars = are rough on
propellers when = you don't remove them before cranking), and I was quite
open with the fact that I had no = intention of flying with it.  That was a
clear violation of the "ready to fly" = rule, and when I think about it a
moment, a clear violation of common sense.  The = point of the Phase 1 is to
The point of = 40hours instead of 25 for non-certified prop/engine
combinations is to make sure they work = together in particular.  How can
you test them together, when they obviously haven't been = fabricated?  Duh.
At the end, Mike was = wanting to write the Repairman's Certificate for me.
All the pictures I've taken during the = build process running as a
I had built this = contraption.  I could tell that Mike didn't want to = leave
me empty handed; but, = he needed the airplane's certification date for that
form, so he was blocked.  I = point that out to say that these guys actually
WANT to give you the legal pass to go = fly.  My project was simply NOT
ready to be called an airplane.

I've got a list of fixes to complete.  That give = me some focus to punch
one = visit if I had:
1) Lined up = some pre-inspections by people who had been through this = before.
2) Been honest with = myself and asked for more time to get things complete.
3) Understood beforehand that = "complete" means "completed".