Maintaining an Airplane

[marcoseddi]

So I am new to this, and was curious if I bought a plane like a 152, and flew it about 8-12 hours a month. I know there has to be some sort of maintenance done to the aircraft. A. I know nothing about this, what type of maintenance does it need? and How do I go about getting it done, asking the local FBO to check it every so often or have a scheduled mechanic every so often or some things I can do myself.. Any help appreciated, Thanks

 

[denverpilot]

The service manual for the aircraft will detail regular maintenance items. They're pretty straightforward if you already take care of your own car/truck. FARs limit what a certified aircraft owner can do, anyway, without a qualified A&P mechanic's supervision and signature.

Best plan: Find your mechanic you trust before you go hunting for an aircraft. You're going to need someone you trust to do a pre-purchase inspection anyway.

Talk with said mechanic about things to expect as a new owner. Also meet and talk to other owners. If you get along, pooling resources may allow you to own/operate a nicer aircraft relatively inexpensively. That is if you aren't the type that needs the aircraft all to yourself.

Renting vs owning typically breaks even and/or becomes a hassle around 100 hours a year. That doesn't sound like a lot until you realize there's 52 weeks in a year. Will you be flying at least two hours every week in a year? The aircraft engine and some other items would probably be better served flying more often than that. Hangar can help with that, but many folks keep 150/152s outdoors.

Etc etc etc. A lot of things to learn, but nothing hard. Just need to start making a notebook, computer folder, whatever with info and start asking lots of questions.

 

[Henning]

Considering your statements I'm going to assume you're not a mechanic so I'll direct my comments that way. Your plane will require an Annual Inspection by a rated A&P Inspection Authorized mechanic, at that time the service called for by the manufacturer in the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness spelled out in the maintenance manual is completed, basically a lube job of the controls on a 152. You should also be doing oil changes between 20&50 hrs or with the change of seasons, whichever comes first.

My suggestion would be to find your mechanic you intend to use first, they will be able to best direct you with regards to the maintenance needs of your aircraft, and they can help you in choosing the aircraft to purchase.

 

[Clark1961]

Nate gave an outline to help learning. Henning gave the basic requirements for some of the scheduled maintenance.

Maintenance on something like a 150/152 is usually not too bad but it does add up. An owner can do a lot of it. Tires every few years; plugs cleaned, gapped, and rotated every 50 hrs or so;air filter cleaned/replaced as necessary; brakes serviced; battery maintained (or replaced); etc. Most of those items are a couple Benjamins or less.

The more expensive items are found in the instruments and avionics. Wiring is old (and unmaintained) and radios and transponders break. It is rarely cheap when these things break. Most instruments can be rebuilt but it takes time and money.

A good pre-buy inspection should keep you out of trouble with the airframe. Don't buy anything with un-repaired corrosion or cracks. Make sure everything (engine & airframe) gets looked at by an A&P IA. It's worth it.

 

[douglas393]

The cost of owning is just more than maintenance. I own a 182 and in addition to oil changes which I do every 25 hrs, and the little and big things that go wrong on a regular basis, there is the cost of annuals, and keeping the avionics up to date. In addition, there is costs of insurance, tie down or hangar fees, fuel, oil, washing, etc. Also do not forget to figure in cost of overhaul of engine and prop.

Not to rain on your parade, but reality sometimes bites. Then again, there is nothing as nice as as having a plane in the hangar to use whenever you feel like it.

For me it is well worth every penny. I wish I could say the same about my boats.

Doug

 

[marcoseddi]

thanks alot guys great points made..

 

[flyingcheesehead]

My advice: Join a club first before you own your own airplane. Better yet, become the treasurer. After paying the bills on three airplanes for five or six years, I have a healthy appreciation of how much it costs to own an airplane.

The other thing to realize is that with a plane like a 150/152, there can easily be repairs that pop up that approach the value of the airplane. $13,000 for corrosion repair and new fuel bladders on a 182 is one thing, but on a 152 it's probably at least half the value of the airplane, and it decreases the value of the airplane (not to mention making it unairworthy) by at least the value of the repair, so you're stuck either doing it or just scrapping the airplane.

In addition, in a few years we're going to have ADS-B requirements to deal with, and equipping a 152 will also most likely cost what the plane is worth and provide very little upside when you go to sell.

So, IMO, it is not worth it to own a cheap airplane in the near future. And by "cheap" I mean anything less than $50K or probably more.