lift struts - the rest of the story

[Pegi Ohlinger]

hey gang.. this is the lesser half of the peg/john pair.
this is the story:

As most of you know, I had an "event" about a month ago landing at W66. I told the NTSB the "event" could have been prevented if the ditch wasn't there (another story). Thanks to mikes help with the landing gear, the major "issue" has been the repair/replacement of the lift struts (both forward and aft on the port side being damaged).

I measured the major/minor axis of the struts and vacilated whether to repair or replace. After a discussion with Univair, I decided that researching repair was in order. After many discussions with my local IA and a study of AC and finding out that Spruce didnt carry the SL of the size that I needed, I contacted Dillsburg. I was told that SL tubing is not made anywhere in the world of the size that I need ( the larger struts). Dillsburgh also told me that they had just recently shipped Taylorcraft (Texas) a HUGE order of the smaller SL. I called Tcraft and found out that for a short number of years (in the 1980's) struts were made of the larger material and apparently my Tcraft struts had been replaced at some point (my Tcraft is 1946).

Through this forum I reached Dave Rude (im calling him "strut dave") and he appears to be the worlds foremost expert on Tcraft struts.. I'm trying to get him to write a book "The religion of Tcraft Struts". I think it would be a best seller. The only way I can repair my struts is with "equal or larger" (as the AC says) SL material. SL tubing "equal or larger" is no longer available in this size. The only option is salvaging an old strut and using the material to sleeve the damaged area (again per the AC). Dave has been extremely helpful with all of this and his advice/help is much appreciated.

Dave is sending me SL "material" and hopefully my Tcraft will be up and running sometime next week. This whole "epsisode" has been extremely "enlightening" as far as learning the world of Tcraft.

My next issue: My annual is due this month and my IA is not authorized to work at W66. Ferry permit anyone ??

Any thoughts/suggestions/comments are solicited and encouraged. Any thoughts on how to make things easier would be much appreciated.

Keep em in the air.
john

[mhorowit]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

John - when you give your welder the struts and the material, would you give me a call? I'd like to watch him do the repair; I'm especially intersted in how he will form the splice around the strut - Mike

[hangarb7]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

"I/A not authorized to work at W66..."

What does that mean? Someone is preventing him from working at your airport? Why?

Jack
N44057

[mhorowit]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

John will have to address that, but perhaps the airport has an agreement that if there is work to be done on an a/c at W66, then it should be done by a local A&P???????

I don't recall the details but seem to recall that an instructor not based at FRR had to make an 'arrangement' with the FBO to teach there.
- Mike

[VictorBravo]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

"Warning: Damaging or disabling an aircraft is a federal offense... punishable by death...etc." we've all seen these placards and signs.

Forcing you to have a mechanic work on your airplane who you do not trust, or who is not as familiar with your airplane as the mechanic you do trust, is a form of "disabling". It could induce you to ferry a potentially illegal and unsafe airplane off the airport just to get the plane to someone who is competent on a T-craft. Especially since they'd be preventing you from even having an outside mechanic give you a ferry permit to do it.

I'd write a note to the airport, saying that them forcing you to use THEIR chosen mechanic, on a specialized and uncommon airplane, puts them right in the middle of the liability chain. Remind them that your attorney, Mr. Tort Judgmentberg, will ask them on the witness stand why they forced their Cessna mechanic on a T-craft owner, and that the answer will be that the airport had some sort of profit or fee from the other guy so they sold out flight safety for a few bucks.

So tell them that if they want to be in the middle of the liability chain, and force you to use their mechanic, the city attorney is going to have to sign a letter saying that the city or county inserted itself in the flight safety process over your objection, because they are making money.

Should solve the problem

[Pegi Ohlinger]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

I'm based at 7VG0 which is a small ultralight strip 6 miles north of W66. I routinely do training atW66 given the long (federally funded, by the way) 6000 ft. runway. Nicely outside the ADIZ.

But the local airport politics are horrendous (i've heard other words used). The main FBO services also included providing maintenance on the field. Ross was the guy that kept things running. Because of a falling out, he's decided to move on and the FBO maintenance operation has taken a nose-dive, as would be expected. I understand that they have an IA on-call if required.

For the last three years two other IA's have been struggling to get approval to perform maintenance out of end hangars at the a/p. And from what I can tell, both are in the final throes of county approval. But both have been "oredered" to stop current work or face being bared from the a/p (that was at the county meeting this past monday that I attended). A threat was made to have the sheriff evict offenders.

I made it clear at the meeting that I was very unhappy being told that I was required to go to the county "approved" maintenance FBO. At my protest, the cease and desist order was modified (clarified ??) to allow other maintenance shops to perform work if it was "emergency" in nature and required for airworthiness (I fall into this category). And the work must be done in hangers other than the other maintenance shops. I happen to be in a hangar belonging to a friend that by luck is empty at the moment.

My annual comes due this month. If the strut work is not done by the end of the month the question becomes whether an annaul is considered "emergency" repair work.

I love local airport politics......(;f
keep those taylorcrafts flying....
john

[3Dreaming]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

Since they will allow emergency work make sure the strut is the last part fixed. I think after an incident like this a very detailed inspection is in order. Did it cause chunks of metal or carbon to come loose in the engine? Better pull the screen and check. Come to think of it you better check the wheel bearings because of going into the ditch. Of coarse the mechanic repairing the struts will need to check the rigging maybe it affected some other controls. When it's all said and done have him sign off the annual after the detailed accident inspection. Tom

[hangarb7]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

OOOOh, small airport politics.... now I understand.

Luckily I am at an airport where they put no restrictions nor do they prevent you from working in your hangar, even though it clearly states in my contract that no work of any kind should happen in the hangars without their written approval.

There are two I/As that operate out of their hangars inspecting and repairing planes.

However, when I purchased my TC at a small field near Ford City, PA the local mechanic there said that he would continue to inspect the airplane after I bought it. Even though I told him I had a hangar at another airport, he must have assumed that I was keeping the TC at the field where he does his work, because he refused to come to my airport to do an annual. Nor would he do it if I flew in there.

Said he was worried about taking other people's work....

As you say, small airport politics. Now I understand.

Jack D.
N44057
Rostraver, FWQ
Belle Vernon, PA

[NC36061]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

Something sounds really wrong about this. I have never heard of such a thing, but maybe I am just uninformed. I seriously question the legitimacy of a local governmental body or an FBO to excercise any regulatory authority over a federally (FAA) licensed IA or A/P at a federally funded public use airport. I may be missing something, but I think I would make some inquiries to Oklahoma City, or at least threaten to.

My two cents

Dave

[N96337]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

They started that here a few years ago, and when they jumped me about it, I pulled out my A&P as well as IA and asked them to read the name on it... that's who decides to do what work. They still were being jerks, but when the FAA got wind of it, they explained a bit about their Federal Funding...and the problem was solved. It was one of the best advantages of having my own airport!!! Worth every penny it cost!!!
JH

[Pearson]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

Why can't you, as the aircraft owner, take the damaged strut home or somewhere else and have it repaired there?

[crispy critter]

Re: lift struts - the rest of the story

We have a couple of airports near by that are the same way,nobody is allowed to perform any work on an airplane ANYWHERE on the field(hanger or tiedown)unless it is the mech that's based there. One of the big problems with this is that the mechs at these 2 airports are so busy(more like lazy)that they're never caught up enough to work on your airplane when it needs it.When they do get it in the shop they spend most of the day drinking coffee and talking bullshit and they take periodic work on the airplane breaks(rather then the other way around being an occaionall coffee break)while at the same time your being charged $60-70 dollars an hour for your airplane to set in the maintnace hanger during buisness hours weather they are working on it or not!!! My partner on my red and white C-170 landed there a while back an blew a tailwheel tire,they sold him a used tire and tube at 25% above the RETAIL cost of a new one and then charged him 4 hours labor for installing it(a job that might have taken me 30 minutes)and then an extra 1 hour for the log book entrys! Alan(my partner had flew down there on buisness so he didn't think much about it.He just ask if they had a tire and could replace it for him while he was gone. Just think about it......almost $500 dollars for a F&*^&*%* tailwheel tire & tube!! After that I had a long talk with the local IA on our field and we all started spreading the word of $35 per hour and if we ain't working on it then you ain't being charged for it! I also will pick up and return airplanes for some of these guys that don't have time to bring them to us. In the last year alone our IA has picked up over half of the buisness from the 3 big surronding airports and at $35 per hour he's still making a very,very nice living ....the honest way!! If any of you guys are close enough to bring it to him I promiss he will do you fair and honest....plus you won't be turned away.I do all of his paint,tube.and fabric work . We can pick up and deliver plus he encourages owner assist annuals.