Airframe total time

frfly172

frfly172

Touchdown! Greaser!
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What do we consider to be high airframe time. Anyone flying an aircraft with over 10,000 total time? I owned an arrow with over 8000 hrs,no major problems,aircraft is still flying.
 
Prior plane was +8k and in fantastic shape
 
8,000 to 10,000 seems to be the magic number. If you don't believe that try calling some of the listings with those hours on them. They can't draw flies to their add, even with low price it is hard to sell a high time plane.
 
I snapped this photo after pulling the 172 I rent up to the hanger so the owner could roll it over himself.

20141011_153037_zpsfd577ae9.jpg


Planes in very nice shape.
 
kgruber said:
Most Cessna 207s flying 135 in Alaska have 40,000hrs+.
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Interesting.

Temporary Revision 7 of Cessna service manual D2060-1-13


The Supplemental Structural Inspection Program is valid for Model 207 airplanes with less than 40,000 flight hours. Beyond this, continued airworthiness of the airplane can no longer be assured. Retirement of this airframe is recommended when 40,000 flight hours has been accumulated.
 
bnt83 said:
Interesting.

Temporary Revision 7 of Cessna service manual D2060-1-13


The Supplemental Structural Inspection Program is valid for Model 207 airplanes with less than 40,000 flight hours. Beyond this, continued airworthiness of the airplane can no longer be assured. Retirement of this airframe is recommended when 40,000 flight hours has been accumulated.
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If it's not required you know guys are going to keep flying them.

Our companies 207s have 29k, 24k, and 18k hours respectively and are considered "low time"
 
DavidWhite said:
If it's not required you know guys are going to keep flying them.

Our companies 207s have 29k, 24k, and 18k hours respectively and are considered "low time"
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I'm not seeing much difference between 40,000+ airframe hours or passed TBO engine hours.
 
My 1940 J-3 has like 9000 total hours. It was completely rebuilt in 96 by John Monnett though. Has like 600 hours since ground up rebuild.
Funny thing when I called the seller he never would tell me it had almost 9000 hours on it. He just kept saying 500 since complete rebuild. I bought it sight unseen and had it ferried. It was a big surprise when it got here, nicest Cub I had seen. I went to a Cub and Stearman flyin last week. I was pretty happy having the nicest J-3 there :) My 12 year old son was really surprised by how some of the other Cubs looked. He told me I should never sell it.
 

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my old 1959 172 has just under 13,000 hours total. and I fly about 4 times a week
 
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At my previous job where I used to instruct many of the airplanes were in the 8000+ range several of them over 10000 hours. These were 172's and I have to say they all flew fine. Besides the normal maintenance issues one can expect even with a newer plane there was no real issues I would attribute to their old age. Now of course they looked a little more beat up, and the general appearance wasn't as nice but from a mechanical standpoint they were fine, at least from my vantage point! I think so long as the maintenance is upkept properly and the airfram is non pressurized (so it doesn't have a life cycle limit) and you just keep the metal clear of corrosion I see no reason why these planes shouldn't be flying for still many years to come.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
A couple of our DC-9s are north of 75,000 hours.
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1 of PMRs Williey Victors was over 150,000 hours. #3 engine fell off on landing at Pt. Mugu, so they scrapped it on station. Less than a month later there were no more on active duty.
 
Tom-D said:
1 of PMRs Williey Victors was over 150,000 hours. #3 engine fell off on landing at Pt. Mugu, so they scrapped it on station. Less than a month later there were no more on active duty.
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Puts a whole new meaning to " lost a motor":eek:.....;)
 
DavidWhite said:
Most 207s have been crashed and rebuilt so many times that you'd be hard pressed to find any original components on them
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:lol::lol::lol: Yep. Crash two and build one to keep on flying...

I flew a few sleds in Alaska that had more than 20,000 hours, and that was 15 years ago. Most of them are still in Alaska and working hard.
 
What's an average Beaver time? Pretty damn high. That said, I'm happy with my 180's low time. If it was high time I'd probably do a voluntary SID. I think that'd be a worthwhile project on a high time airplane.
 
N801BH said:
Puts a whole new meaning to " lost a motor":eek:.....;)
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Spars were so badly corroded the engine mount pulled out of the spar.

We inspected the other aircraft and went OMG..
 
1972 182p just north of 11,000 hours. Airframe was well taken care of and fairly fresh paint and interior.


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