rcaligan
Pre-Flight
FBO rant (long)
Here's another tale of an FBO that can't afford to rent airplanes....
I go out to fly yesterday in a 172. Right side fuel gauge is inop--dead on empty, but the tank is visually almost full. I try rocking the wings, banging (gently) on the gauge...nothing.
So I go back inside and talk to the owner, and I get:
Well, yeah, it's been that way for a while...
It'll come up after the fuel goes down a bit...
Well, it's still safe...
So I explain to him about 91.205 & 213, and he admits:
Well, theoretically, yes, it's unairworthy.
Theoretically???
You don't have to fly it if you don't want to...
I don't want to.
During this time the mechanic walks in and says:
It needs a new sending unit. (Remember, it's been that way for a while.)
IOW, he knew what the problem was and how to fix it. Why the hell is this airplane still on the line??? I don't care if it's expensive to fix...the damn plane is unairworthy.
The more crap like this I see, the more I think MAG has the right idea. The traditional mom & pop FBO is dying. Planes are getting more & more expensive to maintain but they don't have the revenue to afford MX. Someday, the only way a person will learn to fly is by being an owner, going to a training mill or a university.
</rant>
Here's another tale of an FBO that can't afford to rent airplanes....
I go out to fly yesterday in a 172. Right side fuel gauge is inop--dead on empty, but the tank is visually almost full. I try rocking the wings, banging (gently) on the gauge...nothing.
So I go back inside and talk to the owner, and I get:
Well, yeah, it's been that way for a while...
It'll come up after the fuel goes down a bit...
Well, it's still safe...
So I explain to him about 91.205 & 213, and he admits:
Well, theoretically, yes, it's unairworthy.
Theoretically???
You don't have to fly it if you don't want to...
I don't want to.
During this time the mechanic walks in and says:
It needs a new sending unit. (Remember, it's been that way for a while.)
IOW, he knew what the problem was and how to fix it. Why the hell is this airplane still on the line??? I don't care if it's expensive to fix...the damn plane is unairworthy.
The more crap like this I see, the more I think MAG has the right idea. The traditional mom & pop FBO is dying. Planes are getting more & more expensive to maintain but they don't have the revenue to afford MX. Someday, the only way a person will learn to fly is by being an owner, going to a training mill or a university.
</rant>
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