Hobbs or Tach time?

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muleywannabe

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Cherokee235
Our plane does not have a hobbs meter. There are 3 different owners (2 student pilots, one pilot) that own and operate the plane.

we are trying to figure out a way to keep time for the engine overhaul fund. we want to be as organized as possible.

since we own the aircraft, do we use the Tach time in order to appropriate funds for the overhaul or do we need to install a hobbs meter and use that time? For the interim, we have been using our phone's timer and as student pilots it is helpful for the instructor to keep time as well.

any info would be great so we are all on the same page.


thank you
 
For airplane maintenance you want to use tach time. No need to install a Hobbs meter.

As for flight time, the most "economical" way to deal with that is to just use your watch or some other form of timer.
 
muleywannabe said:
Our plane does not have a hobbs meter. There are 3 different owners (2 student pilots, one pilot) that own and operate the plane.

we are trying to figure out a way to keep time for the engine overhaul fund. we want to be as organized as possible.

since we own the aircraft, do we use the Tach time in order to appropriate funds for the overhaul or do we need to install a hobbs meter and use that time? For the interim, we have been using our phone's timer and as student pilots it is helpful for the instructor to keep time as well.
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That's entirely up to your group to discuss and decide. However, my opinion is that since overhaul (and all other maintenance) is normally done based on tach time, and fuel use is also most closely aligned with tach time, you should use tach time to apportion variable/direct costs among the owners while continuing to use a phone timer, wrist watch, or other clock device to figure time for 61.51 pilot logbook purposes.
 
Thank you guys so much! That makes more sense. I cant see why hobbs would have anything to do with the tach. I even had my last instructor tell me that hobbs should be used for maintenance but it has nothing to do with that...

once again, you guys are always great help.
 
The main reason for installing a Hobbs meter is for when the airplane is being rented. It allows you to use (advertise) a lower hourly rate (usually about 20%) than if you were using Tach time.

Unless you want to or have a need to advertise your hourly rates then Tach time is just fine.

Brian.
 
Or you could take tach time times 1.20 and call that your rental time. It's close to what Hobbs would be. That way, when the compare their hourly rate to other places, it will seem a little better then if they compare it to tach time (even if they know, it still seems better). YMMV
 
The flight school I worked at long ago had Hobbs meters only for charging students time from starting the engine till shutdown. Maintenance was based on the tach.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Instructors are not infallible.
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The hell we aren't!!!
:crazy:


(The EAA fellow with a white taildragger homebuilt we called Farmer Bob at Oshkosh based at Lee's Summit ... is he still around? Tell him Jim from Grass Valley said hi.)

Jim
.
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I don't have a recording tach in my plane, the tach came out of a Bonanza when I took the engine that it was attached to. The Hobbs meter is connect to the landing gear which gives the best approximation of what the FAA defines as time in service.

Pilot flight time is the time from whence the aircraft first moves under it's own power for the purpose of flight until it comes to rest.

Time in service, is just off the ground time.

The FAA doesn't get worked up over how you compute either one as long as you're reasonable and consistent.
 
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