Flying an aircraft that's been setting 4 months

Tom-D

Tom-D

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Tom-D
I have been asked to deliver a C-150 that has been in a hangar for 4 months and not flown or started since early November 2011.

What would you do before you started the trip? ( 1000 miles )
 
Biggest concern for me is the engine. It if wasn't "pickled," get a mechanic to take a good look at it, including pulling plugs and looking inside the cylinders, maybe even borescoping looking for corrosion inside the crankcase. Probably do a good engine run checking for any anomalies, then do a post-run check for leaks, etc. Next step would be a 10-15 minute flight overhead trying to check out all systems followed by a careful post flight inspection. First leg would be Day VMC, and again, look the plane over really well after landing.
 
Ron Levy said:
Biggest concern for me is the engine. It if wasn't "pickled," get a mechanic to take a good look at it, including pulling plugs and looking inside the cylinders, maybe even borescoping looking for corrosion inside the crankcase. Probably do a good engine run checking for any anomalies, then do a post-run check for leaks, etc. Next step would be a 10-15 minute flight overhead trying to check out all systems followed by a careful post flight inspection. First leg would be Day VMC, and again, look the plane over really well after landing.
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All that's OK It's getting an annual before it flys again.

what else?

OBTW I built this C-150 in the early 90's and the 0-200 is one of mine, at 850 hours smoh. Superior Millenniums using exon elite since day 1.
 
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Tom-D said:
I have been asked to deliver a C-150 that has been in a hangar for 4 months and not flown or started since early November 2011.

What would you do before you started the trip? ( 1000 miles )
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If you have to ask this question on a web board you shouldn't even consider doing it.

Just my opinion. :rolleyes:
 
Tom-D said:
I have been asked to deliver a C-150 that has been in a hangar for 4 months and not flown or started since early November 2011.

What would you do before you started the trip? ( 1000 miles )
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You've just described half the aircraft in the Northeast and I dont see extraordinary measures being taken by all the pilots once the weather returns back to being flyable again. I suppose some locations (salt laden environment for example) might change the picture some but barring the unusual I think Hennings has pretty well summed it up.
 
I've done this (more or less) with the Frankenkota a couple times now. First was when I bought it and the second was the engine mount repair.

Both times it had fresh oil and just came out of annual inspection. Preflight was normal - found low tire when picking up the airplane after purchase - missed that there was a major oil leak. Figured out it had an oil leak when it marked it's spot while fueling. After the engine mount repair, I taxied down the runway fast enough to lift the nose then tested the rudder since it had been re-rigged.

That's about it.

Other things that were figured out later (missed on preflight, start-up, and taxi checks): compass was wonky, always at least 10 degrees off and correction card was useless, transponder was intermittent at best, prop was out-of-balance,
 
Since its getting an annual that's probably about going to cover everything. Henning's suggestion is pretty much spot on but i'd add a careful inspection of the carb bowl and fuel system filters. 100LL is probably fine for 4 months but i'd still be worried about gunk buildup from the fuel sitting that long.
 
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dell30rb said:
Since its getting an annual that's probably about going to cover everything. Henning's suggestion is pretty much spot on but i'd add a careful inspection of the carb and fuel system filters. 100LL is probably fine for 4 months but i'd still be worried about gunk buildup from the fuel sitting that long.
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The beautiful thing about Avgas is it's good for a lot longer than 4 months.
 
Henning said:
The beautiful thing about Avgas is it's good for a lot longer than 4 months.
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Yup!! Thats why its in everything I have thats been sitting all winter (motorcycles, generators, lawn mowers, leaf equipment, etc etc.). Like it better than using Stabil or draining everything.
 
Tom-D said:
I have been asked to deliver a C-150 that has been in a hangar for 4 months and not flown or started since early November 2011.

What would you do before you started the trip? ( 1000 miles )
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Check the weather.
 
1000 miles is a pretty long way in a C-150. I'd probably empty my bladder first.
 
I'd give it a good look over, fire it up, do a good run up and off I'd go. 4 months isn't that long.
 
I would ground run it, a few laps in the pattern and if all looks well and feels good, off I would go.
 
Tom-D said:
I have been asked to deliver a C-150 that has been in a hangar for 4 months and not flown or started since early November 2011.

What would you do before you started the trip? ( 1000 miles )
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Since you're doing an annual inspection you've probably got most of the issues covered. I'd look harder than normal for bird/bug/rodent problems and try to get at least a half hour on the clock post inspection followed by a detailed second pre-flight. Then I'd plan a route with options in case something went wrong and stick with good weather for the first leg or two.
 
gismo said:
Since you're doing an annual inspection you've probably got most of the issues covered. I'd look harder than normal for bird/bug/rodent problems and try to get at least a half hour on the clock post inspection followed by a detailed second pre-flight. Then I'd plan a route with options in case something went wrong and stick with good weather for the first leg or two.
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in a 150???? It's going to be VFR all the way.
 
Hell, I've taken off in them after 4 years sitting there on a ferry permit. Fresh oil, fresh fuel, a good preflight and runnup and I'm either gone or I'm coming back to address whatever issue came up. I do not waste time above the airport, I keep on making way even if I have to land multiple times along the way to fix things. Granted, as a pilot contracted to get a plane from A to B, here's a Visa card go. The key is to not break equipment that is already in fragile condition so it gets done economically.
 
Since you are going to annual it before you go, and it is one of your engines, I would take off, circle the airport a time or two just to make sure you didn't forget to put a screw back in somewhere, then stop, use the restroom, top off the tanks, then start on your delivery trip. I'm with most of the people here in saying 4 months isn't that long.
 
I would find a young dumb pilot and sub-contract it out.

Tom-D said:
I have been asked to deliver a C-150 that has been in a hangar for 4 months and not flown or started since early November 2011.

What would you do before you started the trip? ( 1000 miles )
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Ron Levy said:
Neither most annuals nor the list in Appendix D to Part 43 include all of what I suggested.
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But the Cessna 100 service manual gets the most of it.

And by the way, how do you stick a borescope into a 0-200 so you can see the cam, lifters and such, It doesn't work on Lycomings either, the only engine you can see any thing is the 0-300 series. and that ain't much.

OBTW, I did the airframe today, spent about 4 hours on it.

Engine tomorrow
 
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