How soon would you fly a club plane after engine overhaul?

Mahneuvers

Mahneuvers

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Mahneuvers
My club's one plane is flying again after an almost 3 month engine overhaul. The plane has flown 10 hours since the overhaul and is now available for club members to fly (with some continued break-in restrictions). I was expecting a mad rush of reservations but I'm the only one on the schedule currently. I'm wondering what the other club members know that I don't! :) Seriously, I was really looking forward to getting back into the air but my wife is telling me she'd like to see more flying. I have complete confidence in the work that's been done but I'm wondering if other pilots have an general rule of thumb here.
 
Right away! I use to help with the break-in when I rented from the flight school. They would allow those with a Private ticket or higher to rent the airplanes at a significantly lower rate during the break-in period.

If that’s not your cup ‘o tea, I still wouldn’t have any qualms about flying one right after the break-in period was finished, but YMMV.
 
I’m not sure what kind of use the plane normally sees, but the restrictions that come with a new overhaul generally aren’t friendly to pattern work or maneuvers and are more friendly to cross countries. It could be that the students that would ordinarily book are avoiding for that reason. It could also be that people have been used to not having the plane available and just haven’t thought to look.

In any event, it wouldn’t bother me to book it.
 
Clip4 said:
I would rather fly the 11th hour after the overhaul than I would the 11th hour before the overhaul.
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Excellent! I didn't have a good response for my wife but I do now!!
 
I flew the test flight after my overhaul. Spent 2 hours doing figure 8's at high power over a 10,000 ft runway. After that I'd be fine. Honestly it was probably 50 hours before it wasn't heavy on my mind.
 
Civil Air patrol has a regulation that forbids carrying cadets before ten tach hours have elapsed after specific types of work is done, so that might be a reasonable guide for the ultra-cautious.
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
The plane has flown 10 hours since the overhaul
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....
Hi.
The most important / critical time is the first hour, and most likely the first minutes after the first start. After 10 hrs they should have a good idea if the proper break it took place. By that time they probably already had the oil replaced?
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
My club's one plane is flying again after an almost 3 month engine overhaul. The plane has flown 10 hours since the overhaul and is now available for club members to fly (with some continued break-in restrictions). I was expecting a mad rush of reservations but I'm the only one on the schedule currently. I'm wondering what the other club members know that I don't! :) Seriously, I was really looking forward to getting back into the air but my wife is telling me she'd like to see more flying. I have complete confidence in the work that's been done but I'm wondering if other pilots have an general rule of thumb here.
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With this logic anyone that owns a plane will never fly after an overhaul. That will be a lot of planes sitting on the ground rotting away.
 
Clip4 said:
I would rather fly the 11th hour after the overhaul than I would the 11th hour before the overhaul.
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I would prefer an engine slightly over TBO to a newly rebuilt one as far as reliability goes. If it has run well for that many hours another hour or two over TBO isn't a concern.

Mike Busch makes the point in his article:

In most of my classes, I find one or two sharp folks who correctly point out that the highest risk of catastrophic in-flight engine failure occurs during the first few hundred hours after the engine is assembled.
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From here: https://www.avweb.com/ownership/the-savvy-aviator-45-how-risky-is-going-past-tbo/
 
Clip4 said:
I would rather fly the 11th hour after the overhaul than I would the 11th hour before the overhaul.
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Depends on the reason for the overhaul. Most clubs euthanize perfectly healthy engines just because they reached tbo. If it's not making metal, I'd rather fly the last 11.

That said, I was the first person to fly our club plane after the maintenance officer put the initial 3 hours on it. I flew a little higher than usual and watched the gauges a bit closer than usual, but wasn't overly worried about it. Pretty friendly terrain around here though. I did wait a bit before I took the kids up; I think it had 50 or so on it by then.
 
bluesky74656 said:
I’m not sure what kind of use the plane normally sees, but the restrictions that come with a new overhaul generally aren’t friendly to pattern work or maneuvers and are more friendly to cross countries. It could be that the students that would ordinarily book are avoiding for that reason. It could also be that people have been used to not having the plane available and just haven’t thought to look.

In any event, it wouldn’t bother me to book it.
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This. I’ve been a member of the largest club in the country (over 50 airplanes), so engine overhauls were a regular occurrence in the fleet.

The break in requirements are a non issue for cross country flights, but for late afternoon and weekend training no so much.
 
Discounted time for a fresh engine and I'd be all in:D Lots of climbing turns looking back over the shoulder....
When do they get their first oil change after an OH? That would ease some fears. I realize its analysis is going to be skewed but a giant red flag might present itself. Ive heard people talk about 50hrs before feeling really good about it but...arbitrary or not, maybe you'd like to be one of the people to help give it a proper break-in.
 
I've flown off some of the break-in hours on a club plane before without much concern, though I wasn't the first to take the plane up after overhaul. That was more because the first flight was a lot of boring circles over the airfield, while subsequent break-in time could be done on a cross-country (paying more attention than usual to keeping airports close by along the way).
 
Fearless Tower said:
This. I’ve been a member of the largest club in the country (over 50 airplanes), so engine overhauls were a regular occurrence in the fleet.

The break in requirements are a non issue for cross country flights, but for late afternoon and weekend training no so much.
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I've never broke one in ... just have read the process. If you're renting and breaking it in, aren't you supposed to be near full rich at all times and max RPM in cruise?
 
danhagan said:
I've never broke one in ... just have read the process. If you're renting and breaking it in, aren't you supposed to be near full rich at all times and max RPM in cruise?
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I’ve seen a few variations, but generally you run richer than normal and higher or at least constant rpm

Which is fine for cross country, but typically prohibits pattern work
 
Ten hours? I'd fly it. Wouldn't do pattern work. Would make sure to check the oil and keep an eye on the gauges. Not for fear of catastrophic failure, but to make sure you catch any little leaks and don't let anything get out of hand.
 
I flew the Mooney with less than 10 after the new engine went in. I was a little nervous, but the work was good, so I went for it!
 
Maybe because they are cheap and don’t want to pay the break-in fuel bill.
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
My club's one plane is flying again after an almost 3 month engine overhaul. The plane has flown 10 hours since the overhaul and is now available for club members to fly (with some continued break-in restrictions). I was expecting a mad rush of reservations but I'm the only one on the schedule currently. I'm wondering what the other club members know that I don't! :) Seriously, I was really looking forward to getting back into the air but my wife is telling me she'd like to see more flying. I have complete confidence in the work that's been done but I'm wondering if other pilots have an general rule of thumb here.
Click to expand...
Before the ink dried in the logbook
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
My club's one plane is flying again after an almost 3 month engine overhaul. The plane has flown 10 hours since the overhaul and is now available for club members to fly (with some continued break-in restrictions). I was expecting a mad rush of reservations but I'm the only one on the schedule currently. I'm wondering what the other club members know that I don't! :) Seriously, I was really looking forward to getting back into the air but my wife is telling me she'd like to see more flying. I have complete confidence in the work that's been done but I'm wondering if other pilots have an general rule of thumb here.
Click to expand...

At 10 hours it is broke in ready for normal flight, IMO.

I installed a factory lycoming rebuilt motor last summer. Followed lycoming start up exactly on the ground and in the air.
The first flight was 2 hours at 75% power, then the last 30 minutes was at full power. 2.5 hrs total. It used one quart of oil.

The second flight was 2 hours varying from 65-75% power and the last 15 minutes full power. It used 3/4 of a quart.

By the 5th hour the oil consumption stopped. It used very little until I got to 18 hours and I changed it for the first time. I have flown it 310+ hours so far, it uses a quart every 12 hours now.

I would not be concerned at all at 10 hours, it's ready to go if it's like my lycoming was.
 
Gary Ward said:
At 10 hours it is broke in ready for normal flight, IMO.
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Yeah it should be if everything is done correctly. Plus, if it was ran on a dyno, some of break-in will already be done.
 
If it will make full power for 3 minutes I will be high enough to make it back to the runway. After that I just decide where I want to fly by what acceptable risk I want to accept of the landing areas if it had a problem and by how much I trust the airplane (or weather in the glider), just like any other flight.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

I have done a number of 1st flights after overhaul. Just go fly it per the mechanics recommendations. Which usually is check for leaks after within the 1st hour then run it hard and check it again after a few hours.
 
Bill said:
I flew the Mooney with less than 10 after the new engine went in. I was a little nervous, but the work was good, so I went for it!
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I flew the test flight (0 hours) mostly over the airport, and all the hours afterwards. I didn’t fly at night for first 30 hours. But it was my plane, so I knew there wasn’t any hiccups in previous flights, problem with club plane you don’t know if previous pilots ignored warning signs of engine failure, if there are any.
 
I attended one of those short seminars at sun n fun for an engine management seminar from a lycoming rep or mechanic. Also a few other accident and safety classes.
The relevant take away is that you are statistically in the clear 200 hours after overhaul or new engine.
 
I've flown a few brand new Cirrus during break in. It was fun. No touch and goes, or pattern work. Run the engine at 85% for as long as you can, keep power up during descent equals a faster than normal ride.
 
Do you trust the club to have proper maintenance done?

If the answer is no, then I wouldn't fly any of the club's aircraft ever.

(After an engine overhaul on my airplane, my mechanic and I spent a wonderfully boring hour orbiting the field at 2000' agl - iow - I flew right away)
 
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Bob Noel said:
Do you trust the club to have proper maintenance done?
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100%.

The engine was significantly over TBO and started to exhibit compression issues. It was time to overhaul.

My plan is to fly a little higher than normal and plan a route that keeps me close to airports. I'm looking forward to getting back into the air.
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
100%.

The engine was significantly over TBO and started to exhibit compression issues. It was time to overhaul.

My plan is to fly a little higher than normal and plan a route that keeps me close to airports. I'm looking forward to getting back into the air.
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When I broke in my motor I flew over farm land for the first 4-5 hours. After it quit using oil I stopped thinking about it, because Lycoming said it is broke in when the oil consumption stabilized.
 
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The weather was so nice the other day I took a 1/2 day vacation and was able to log 3.3 hours. I followed the advice of navigating from airport to airport. All went well. It was awesome getting back into the air after a ~3 month hiatus.
 
No worries...

I've only had two engines blow up shortly after an overhaul.

Too soon?
 
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