in desperate search of an A&P close to KEPM (Eastport, Maine) to sign off on a ferry permit for a Cessna 150. Ferry permit in hand. Aircraft easily accessible at KEPM. I'm in the Portland area and can drive if someone is willing to make the trip. Will pay you for your time. Bonus points if you're IA and can just do the annual inspection at KEPM. If you would like to do the ferry inspection at KEPM and also the annual inspection at a different location, that's an option as well. Any guidance on this situation will be very much appreciated.
So you haven't located a mechanic yet but you have the ferry permit in hand? And you are willing to have the IA do the annual at a different location? I'd have thought you would have had all of that worked out in advance of obtaining a permit. It's nice though that you are willing to pay the mechanic for his time.
They did my permit. I figured they probably wouldn't be interested in the long haul from Portland to Eastport. Am I wrong?
You are very welcome! New owner? So I guess you just bought it. Congratulations!! Maybe you can ask the mechanic who did your pre-buy to do the ferry flight inspection.
I bought a 150 with 100 hours on a quality overhaul for the price of a timed out 150. Eastport is in the middle of nowhere and everyone is gone for the winter. A pre buy was not a practical option, as you can tell by my difficulty trying to find someone to sign off on the ferry. I thought I had a plan for the inspection but FSDO took too long getting my permit approved so now I have a permit and no inspector. Again, thanks for your contribution to this thread. I hope you and the ol' lady work things out.
You're the one coming out of left field to run your trap when someone's just looking for some advice/assistance.
Yup. Brand new aviator. Brand new owner. That's why I'm here looking up to seniors like yourself for *guidance*. Thanks for your help!
There probably isn't too many A&Ps on this board in the middle of Maine in the winter. Time to start calling around to mid sized airports in the area during normal business hours to see if you can find someone to help you out. I don't know any in your area, but I've heard good things about the people in KPSM and KSFM. I don't know anyone further north. You'll most likely have to give someone a ride up and cover their time for the ride and inspection. There's gotta be a big shop in Bangor. I've actually flown into Lubec before, believe it or not...
I disagree. I thought that the OP asked a reasonable question. He was in a bind, and trying to work it out in a legal, proper way when a lot of people would have just flown the plane. And knowing he was a newbie, he was rewarded with a not very helpful reply. And then the dogpile starts. Only one thoughtful response. Was your response helpful in any way? ...No. And considering you are quick to get your panties in a wad when someone looks sideways at you I would think you would be more thoughtful. Fortunately for me, my aviation mentors were kinder.
A web board like this would be the last place I’d be looking for a mechanic. I’d be seeking out locals for that kind of help. OP, as was implied by Skydog, it seems as though you’re putting the cart before the horse. The ferry permit is the easy part to get and you can get another one if you run out of time. Line up your mechanic first then call the FSDO for the permit. I’ve had every permit I’ve requested in less than 5 minutes of time. I assume you just learned to fly and now are buying a plane? Have you considered renting a plane from your flight school and carrying a pilot/mechanic with you to do the inspection and fly the plane home? That would be the easiest and most efficient way to get things done.
Nothing says he has to “know” the locals to simply ask them a question. Maybe fly in and find someone to talk to or call the airport manager? Or just bring a mechanic from home and head there to retrieve the plane. What do people do when they’re broke down away from home? This really isn’t much different.
If he doesn't know them How would he know who to ask. There are airports that you would have to hang around a week to even see anyone.
Basically it in a nutshell. Most FSDOs want to see the A&P Mechanic's entry in the log before they issue the special flight permit. I believe that is what the FAA order states as well. I know that some FSDOs will just put it in the limitations when they issue the flight permit however that does not seem to be allowable per the order. But it seems to be what was done. Getting the inspection done or at least having the mechanic on standby before applying to the FSDO is the best way to go. This is especially true due to a SFP having an expiration date. Many FSDOs set the duration at 10 days, often less and the expiration date is entered on the SFP (Special Airworthiness Certificate). If you get the permit first then go hunting for a mechanic, wait for him to fit it into his schedule and get on site, and then deal with issues such as weather, the SFP is likely to expire. But there are a few other oddities in his post. Here is one. If he can find an IA to do the annual there, that would negate the need for the SFP. Why jump through the hoops of getting the SFP then? Another one is this. Does he mean a different location from the destination listed on the SFP? If so, that would require a new application and a new permit. You cannot fly to a different airport than that listed on the SFP except for fuel stops. Maybe nailing down where the annual is going to be done before getting a flight permit would be a good idea. But what really had me shaking my head was this. Yeah, that’s a basic expectation. Sorry if some of you feel that he was treated roughly but his approach to the issue was so far out of whack.
My take away was he had never owned an airplane, didn’t know anyone where the planes located, knew the airplane was not airworthy and was willing to entertain any reasonable offer to help get his plane in an airworthy condition and at his local airport because he really didn’t know the best way to resolve the problem. But whatever. I guess instead of helping him when can just **** on him and point out how he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.....
You don't have a dui do you???? I kid, I kid. You may find someone here, but I doubt it. Best bet is to call around, or better yet, visit some places in person to show you are serious. You don't detail much about the transaction, I'll assume you inspected log books and past maintenance, but it is probably a big risk for a mechanic to sign off the permit without a pretty detailed inspection. Personally, were I in your shoes, I wouldn't want to fly it until someone gives it a good look over. I just looked, you are at least a 5 hour drive from Portland, you have your work cut out for you, I hope you find someone.
Hey. send me a ticket, have tools will travel. got a pen too. I'll do the annual, fix the discrepancies, and fly it out to you.
That's not a bad offer, but putting you up and transporting you would probably make it too expensive quickly, never mind if you find problems.
Yes I did. Which makes all of the points about doing things in the right order and lining things up in advance even more relevant.
Not quite. Most of the Ferry Permits I received came by FAX as the aircraft I tended to always seemed to break no where near a FSDO. But you have to request the FAX. Once the FSDO issues the Permit they're done with it. The rest falls onto the A&P who signs off the write-up. This is also stated in the Order and at various other places. Here's one: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/lbb/local_more/special_permit/
These days they're issuing permits by email instead of fax but other than that my experience is the same as yours.
