Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Wed, 01 Sep 2004 09:44:21 -0400
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From: "Dan Schaefer" <dfs155@adelphia.net>
Subject: Re: Redundancy pays
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I've rethought my earlier "wimpy" response on the subject of "flying with a
known deficiency" and have a few more things to say on the subject.

At the time I decided to fly home, my airplane was in a condition similar to
a lot of certificated spam cans - at that time only one device was keeping
the mixture in the full rich position - the spring I had installed for just
such an occasion. Apparently, C and P  can get an airplane certificated
(what ever happened to the word "certified"?) without such a backup, meaning
that the Feds think that requiring a belt and suspenders approach isn't all
that necessary.

I even considered the possibility of needing to adjust the mixture on the
flight home and rejected it out of hand. I was taking off at about 2500 ASL,
climbing to no more than 3500 ASL, and landing at ~2500 ASL. The only use I
could conceive of that might require fiddling with the mixture control was
for shut-down at my home airport. I certainly had no intention of screwing
with it for other than shut-down (and I certainly hadn't figured that was
needed in the air!). In fact, Lycoming tells users of my engine type that
leaning below 4 - 5000 Ft ASL at full power is strictly verboten!

Last, since I built it and have the Repairman's certificate for it, I make a
judgment on my airplane's airworthiness after every condition inspection (or
annual) and every time I fix or service something on it. As far as I'm
concerned, I was reaping the benefits of some forethought regarding what I
believe are deficiencies in what is taken for "standard practice", e.g., NO
back-up for a failed control.

'Nuff said!

Dan Schaefer