Cheapest annual turns into the most expensive yet

Timbeck2

Timbeck2

Final Approach
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Timbeck2
I've been working on other people's airplanes all year so I haven't had the chance to really fly my own plane a whole lot. The other day me and my mechanic (who I work with on those other airplanes) were talking and he asked when my annual was due. I told him the first of September. He asked how many hours had I flown it since the last annual. I said 42.3. He said, "I wouldn't even pull the wheels for the bearing inspection. I know what you've done on it all year so just have Bill (the IA) inspect it and we'll do the compressions and call it good."

Great!

However, I wanted to replace my wonky attitude indicator with a Garmin G5. In the process of that, a lot of wiring had to be done and some instruments and avionics had to be taken out of the panel to accomplish that. When we tried to reinstall the old Narco transponder, the light didn't come on. The avionics guy said that it may have been on its last leg anyway (it wasn't...just the bulb, but we found that out after) so I decided to go ahead a meet the mandate for ADS-B and install a Stratus ESG which meant more wiring. Then in the process I decided to replace my heading indicator with another G5 HSI and remove the vacuum system AND in the process, replace all my breakers and bus bars with Klixon. My avionics guy works for free (as we both work with the mechanic on other people's airplanes.)

So my ~ $500 annual turned out to be over 6 AMUs. Bitter sweet I guess.
 
lesson learned: fly more than 42.3 hours!
 
Timbeck2 said:
I've been working on other people's airplanes all year so I haven't had the chance to really fly my own plane a whole lot. The other day me and my mechanic (who I work with on those other airplanes) were talking and he asked when my annual was due. I told him the first of September. He asked how many hours had I flown it since the last annual. I said 42.3. He said, "I wouldn't even pull the wheels for the bearing inspection. I know what you've done on it all year so just have Bill (the IA) inspect it and we'll do the compressions and call it good."

Great!

However, I wanted to replace my wonky attitude indicator with a Garmin G5. In the process of that, a lot of wiring had to be done and some instruments and avionics had to be taken out of the panel to accomplish that. When we tried to reinstall the old Narco transponder, the light didn't come on. The avionics guy said that it may have been on its last leg anyway (it wasn't...just the bulb, but we found that out after) so I decided to go ahead a meet the mandate for ADS-B and install a Stratus ESG which meant more wiring. Then in the process I decided to replace my heading indicator with another G5 HSI and remove the vacuum system AND in the process, replace all my breakers and bus bars with Klixon. My avionics guy works for free (as we both work with the mechanic on other people's airplanes.)

So my ~ $500 annual turned out to be over 6 AMUs. Bitter sweet I guess.
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I wish I could get all that done for 6 grand
 
I don't know yet. Could be cheap or not, the annual part hasn't even started.
 
that's why you get the mx bartering out of the way before you start doing the avionics splurge LOL. But hey your monkey your circus. Enjoy! :D
#yolo #100ktairliner
 
Avionics upgrades,they do get expensive.
 
hindsight2020 said:
that's why you get the mx bartering out of the way before you start doing the avionics splurge LOL. But hey your monkey your circus. Enjoy! :D
#yolo #100ktairliner
Click to expand...

What does that even mean? Anything goes wrong with my plane it gets fixed, right then. I don't wait for an annual to get something fixed so expect nothing to be found on this one, especially since the guy who does the looking is with me all year long. His hangar is next to mine, we work together every weekend and he knows me and my plane better than most mechanics would their customers.
 
Well the hits just keep on coming. While leak testing the static system we found that my VSI and altimeter had issues. So overhaul them right? The VSI for sure but we hit a snag on the altimeter. It seems that my altimeter is a fake United clone and was listed in an FAA Unapproved Parts Notification dated August 29, 2000. Turns out that these were sold by Instrument and Flight Research Inc (still in business by the way) and there are hundreds of them out there. They never got FAA production approval and were manufactured in China, Japan and Taiwan. Check your records folks, you may have one too.
 
One piece at a time...
 
When you get that thing all fixed up we can do a flight across the country to test all that fancy gear out! The Arizona Cherokee Boys. Maybe fly to the Bahamas or something...
 
I'm ready man. I haven't flown in a month and a half - my plane anyway. I got to fly an Aerostar 350 helicopter last week which was cool but not the same. The only thing it did was make me want to get my rotor add on.
 
Timbeck2 said:
I'm ready man. I haven't flown in a month and a half - my plane anyway. I got to fly an Aerostar 350 helicopter last week which was cool but not the same. The only thing it did was make me want to get my rotor add on.
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Yea we will have to fly again soon. Wow that is pretty cool - must have been pretty hard. I've only been on one helicopter and it was in Hawaii. Incredible experience, but they do make me a bit nervous.
 
Timbeck2 said:
I've been working on other people's airplanes all year so I haven't had the chance to really fly my own plane a whole lot. The other day me and my mechanic (who I work with on those other airplanes) were talking and he asked when my annual was due. I told him the first of September. He asked how many hours had I flown it since the last annual. I said 42.3. He said, "I wouldn't even pull the wheels for the bearing inspection. I know what you've done on it all year so just have Bill (the IA) inspect it and we'll do the compressions and call it good."

Great!

However, I wanted to replace my wonky attitude indicator with a Garmin G5. In the process of that, a lot of wiring had to be done and some instruments and avionics had to be taken out of the panel to accomplish that. When we tried to reinstall the old Narco transponder, the light didn't come on. The avionics guy said that it may have been on its last leg anyway (it wasn't...just the bulb, but we found that out after) so I decided to go ahead a meet the mandate for ADS-B and install a Stratus ESG which meant more wiring. Then in the process I decided to replace my heading indicator with another G5 HSI and remove the vacuum system AND in the process, replace all my breakers and bus bars with Klixon. My avionics guy works for free (as we both work with the mechanic on other people's airplanes.)

So my ~ $500 annual turned out to be over 6 AMUs. Bitter sweet I guess.
Click to expand...
You got away mighty cheap and gained a lot IMO.
 
Here I thought this was gonna turn into a top OH. $6k ain’t all thaaaat much. ;)
 
Timbeck2 said:
It is to me.
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ya...mine was over $8,000 last year....I stopped counting....it was more, I think. :confused:

but, it involved a top OH and repairs to the static system and ADS-B transponder....and it goes on....and on....
 
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