bigblockz8
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2011
- Messages
- 429
- Display Name
Display name:
Gore
A friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend has a C172 at College Park Airport, KCGS. I am dirt poor and spending my $ on training. If you have read my previous posts you'd know that I have gone through a lot of CFI's and I am stuck with training right now. I have someone with a plane and they're willing to let me use it under these conditions:
I only ask because I don't want to fly an un-airworthy aircraft. The lives of myself, my CFI, and those on the ground depend on it. It may have all the required docs but after the inspection it still looses cowling screws, 1qt of oil every 2hrs, and the controls act up. I am a bit apprehensive of such a poorly maintained airplane. Too many issues, I see a chain. Mechanical malfunction is rarely an accident cause but it may be in this case.
This guy doesn't fly it. He leaves the flaps down all the time. He also deflates the nosewheel (anti-theft ) and he has had the same fuel in the tanks for months...not full either. Not how I'd pickle a plane. No sun sheilds or anything for his avionics/interior. Just duct tape over door levers and a hell of a time trying to start the engine!
- I have renter's/borrower's insurance (I'd do that anyway)
- I pay for gas and oil (No prob and expected)
- I pay for a tie down at W00 and 1/4 of the KCGS rent (Not too bad)
- I fly at least five hours a month (NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL!)
- I return the airplane to KCGS if I don't plan on using it for more than two weeks (Bit of an issue but do-able)
- I've ridden in it before...before we got in the air, while taxiing I had pulled the throttle to idle, it went to full power! I assumed it was a throttle cable issue (if memory serves correctly if they snap the carb opens all the way up?) and I pulled the mixture. My friend who was actually the PIC was in shock for a good while, as was I.
- The airplane shimmies at 65kts, shimmy damper was OK'd
- There is a dent in the left wing from a bird strike, deemed "OK" even though the stall horn area is affected.
- Controls feel weird and the AP is non functional (I mention the AP because the controls move in increments).
- Carb heat has a 400rpm drop! In the FBO's C172's I see 50-100 max.
- One gear leg is a bit rusty
- Cowling frequently comes loose in flight even with the screws tightened, its even on the guy's preflight list.
- The owner flies it about 2-5 hours a month. Logs before that show an entire year with only one hour!
I only ask because I don't want to fly an un-airworthy aircraft. The lives of myself, my CFI, and those on the ground depend on it. It may have all the required docs but after the inspection it still looses cowling screws, 1qt of oil every 2hrs, and the controls act up. I am a bit apprehensive of such a poorly maintained airplane. Too many issues, I see a chain. Mechanical malfunction is rarely an accident cause but it may be in this case.
This guy doesn't fly it. He leaves the flaps down all the time. He also deflates the nosewheel (anti-theft ) and he has had the same fuel in the tanks for months...not full either. Not how I'd pickle a plane. No sun sheilds or anything for his avionics/interior. Just duct tape over door levers and a hell of a time trying to start the engine!
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