Airframe Time on Extra 300

[Will Hallier]

Hola. I’m new to this forum but have been lurking POA for years. I recently brought an Extra 300L over to the US from the UK. Over in Europe they log airframe time to the minute, wheels up to final wheels down. So my plane has 500+ hours on it in its airframe log now that it’s got its new Standard AWC. My question is do I keep logging the time as has been done previously, or do I just use the time recorded by my tach? Obviously the latter will make inspections due more frequently. Aircraft has no Hobbs. I’m honestly not sure where to go with my new airframe logs...appreciate any help.

 

[Mongoose Aviator]

I use Tach Time for maintenance. My mechanic also records the Tach Time on all of his maintenance log entries.

I use Hobbs time or clock time for logging my flight hours.

 

[Bell206]

My question is do I keep logging the time as has been done previously, or do I just use the time recorded by my tach?

Its totally up to you how to track time. Time-in-Service is defined the same in the FARs. The most accurate is to continue in the same manner. Most owners use tach for maintenance time and hobbs/watch for flight time. If you want best of both worlds install a hobbs with a weight-on-wheels switch.

 

[Will Hallier]

Its totally up to you how to track time. Time-in-Service is defined the same in the FARs. The most accurate is to continue in the same manner. Most owners use tach for maintenance time and hobbs/watch for flight time. If you want best of both worlds install a hobbs with a weight-on-wheels switch.

Thank you!

I’m inclined to continue as the brits did, for a couple reasons, first being continuity. The second reason is that I fly this plane 20-40 minutes at a time, often taxiing after a flight to put fuel in the 15 gallon acro tank so I can go out and do it again, sometimes 3-5 times in a day. This latter use pattern generates sometimes double the tach times compared to my wheels up to final wheels down time. This plane has some really big ticket items that need to happen at varied points in its life and I think it’s stupid for me to pay for those early based on engine tach time...in other words, do I really want to do a 1000H on my currently 500H Extra after I’ve actually only flown it 250-300 more in-flight (time in service) hours? My question really boils down to me trying to be sure, as the operator, that I’m not doing anything wrong by using Tach Time for engine and propeller logs and using Time in Service (wheels up to final wheels down) for my Airframe and “Total Time” documentation as did the Euros before me?

 

[Bell206]

My question really boils down to me trying to be sure, as the operator, that I’m not doing anything wrong by using Tach Time for engine and propeller logs and using Time in Service (wheels up to final wheels down) for my Airframe and “Total Time” documentation as did the Euros before me?

Time in service (TIS) applies equally to your airframe, engine, prop, and appliances... and is regulatory. How you record TIS is your option via your watch, aircraft recording tach, hobbs, etc. However, while there is no guidance that prevents using 2 different methods to record TIS as you state, you'll find using 2 methods will create its own problem.

For example, most Part 91 maintenance providers will enter TIS and tach/hobbs time in their write ups. This will create 2 different time references for the same item regardless if its the airframe, engine, prop. So unless you want to police your logs 100% and keep those different TIS track methods separate and documented in your logs, I would stick to only one method to track TIS. Nothing wrong with using only your watch. It will just be out of the norm for a lot of mx providers. One tip is to keep a running total TIS in the book to reference after each flight day.

 

[Will Hallier]

Time in service (TIS) applies equally to your airframe, engine, prop, and appliances... and is regulatory. How you record TIS is your option via your watch, aircraft recording tach, hobbs, etc. However, while there is no guidance that prevents using 2 different methods to record TIS as you state, you'll find using 2 methods will create its own problem.

For example, most Part 91 maintenance providers will enter TIS and tach/hobbs time in their write ups. This will create 2 different time references for the same item regardless if its the airframe, engine, prop. So unless you want to police your logs 100% and keep those different TIS track methods separate and documented in your logs, I would stick to only one method to track TIS. Nothing wrong with using only your watch. It will just be out of the norm for a lot of mx providers. One tip is to keep a running total TIS in the book to reference after each flight day.

I’ve only put 35 hours (Tach) on the plane and have all of the times for every single sortie on a sheet I made up that documents everything, takeoff time, landing time, flight duration in minutes, Tach start and stop, as well as fuel and oil used...akin to our AFTO 781s I was used to when I flew in the Air Force. But I haven’t put an entry into the aircraft logs yet as I wasn’t sure where to go with what I collected. I can police logs just fine, so I think I’ll go with recording and logging TIS in hours and minutes and recording the Tach time at each maintenance event in any log. Thanks for the help.