Service Letter T-101

[alwaysoar]

Does anyone have the info on T-101? In particular, I need the date it was issued.

Thanks, Ed@btv vt
TF 527

[stormman]

Re: Service Letter T-101

Ok im going to bite
Whats T 101?

[alwaysoar]

Re: Service Letter T-101

Evidently not everyone is familiar with the Service Letter T-101 issued by the factory requireing owners to inspect their lift struts at the lower ends for corrosion, and then to send a letter of compliance to the factory attn: Diana.

This letter was on the Taylorcraft LLC site, that apparently now is down. Could this be the beginning of Harry's strut AD venture?
Ed@BTV VT

[stormman]

Re: Service Letter T-101

Thanks for the info Ed as i was not aware of sending the results to the factory or what the T-101 was.
In my defense I do check with a centerpunch on occasion and oil my struts along with the tailwheel section and the landing gear legs.
No excuse for not knowning but im so old i don't even buy green bananas any more!

[Bobdog]

Re: Service Letter T-101

This may not be a valid "service bulletin". My Taylorcraft is (was) registered with my current address, and I never received a letter from the factory. I doubt if the factory has enough money to pay the postage to send out 5000 service letters. This could just be a ploy by the factory to do field research at our expense.

[stormman]

Re: Service Letter T-101

Mine is current and i never recieved factory notice. I have gotten factory support from Mrs Ferris when i requested it though. All one could ask for!

[VictorBravo]

Re: Service Letter T-101

This may not be a valid "service bulletin". My Taylorcraft is (was) registered with my current address, and I never received a letter from the factory. I doubt if the factory has enough money to pay the postage to send out 5000 service letters. This could just be a ploy by the factory to do field research at our expense.

I agree with 'dog on this one. This may be a fishing expedition. For whatever it may be worth, once again I suggest that the Foundation and TOC make a pre-emptive strike on this.

I believe that Forrest and Bruce would have already been informed by the FAA (and involved in discussing the solution) if there had been ANY Taylorcraft strut failures in the field. If there have been any failures, and any of those failures involved rusty or defective struts, that information should be known already.

If there have not been any strut failures, then the FAA records should show that clearly as well.

Assuming there haven't been any Taylorcraft strut failures (I haven't heard of any... how about any of you?), the TOC and TF can issue a joint letter stating this to the FAA, and addressing the possibility of improper motives for the factory raising a red flag.

That being said, our airplanes are still 60+ years old, and it wouldn't hurt to poke the struts with an ice pick if it has never been done !

[Marv]

Re: Service Letter T-101

I agree with 'dog on this one. This may be a fishing expedition. For whatever it may be worth, once again I suggest that the Foundation and TOC make a pre-emptive strike on this.

I believe that Forrest and Bruce would have already been informed by the FAA (and involved in discussing the solution) if there had been ANY Taylorcraft strut failures in the field. If there have been any failures, and any of those failures involved rusty or defective struts, that information should be known already.

If there have not been any strut failures, then the FAA records should show that clearly as well.

Assuming there haven't been any Taylorcraft strut failures (I haven't heard of any... how about any of you?), the TOC and TF can issue a joint letter stating this to the FAA, and addressing the possibility of improper motives for the factory raising a red flag.

That being said, our airplanes are still 60+ years old, and it wouldn't hurt to poke the struts with an ice pick if it has never been done !

Why would you want to call the fox and tell him you got a new batch of chickens. Just my opinion. Marv

[alwaysoar]

Re: Service Letter T-101

This is a SERVICE LETTER, not SB, and a friend (an IA) found it on the Taylorcraft LLC site because he was doing his first-ever annual on a TCraft and pointed it out to me. I went to the site myself, found it, printed it out, did the inspection by the deadline, and along with it came a blank compliance notification form to be filled out and sent to the factory. Which I did. It occurs to me that it is a fishing expedition to determine if in fact there are corroded struts out there. Presumable if all TCraft struts are inspected by authorized mechanics, and a number are found to be corroded, then the factory can go into business. I've tried to get back to the company site but I now get a "forbidden" message. Anyone else having that problem?

Ed@BTV VT
TF 527

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Service Letter T-101

Sounds to me like every good strut in the Taylorcraft world should be inspected and a form sent in saying it was perfect. If there are any bad ones out there they aren't on airplanes, right? If a strut was bad we would have taken it off at the last annual and it would be out of the system. We just need to turn this around on them and continue replacing any damaged parts just like we have for 60 years. I look at my struts every annual and check them carefully. It's my behind in the plane. I don't need a bankrupt factory service department telling me to do it, I do it because it is part of keeping my plane safe. If all they get is inspection forms saying every strut on a plane is good he has no bait for his fishing expidition.
Go forth and inspect. If you see a bad strut, do what is right. REPLACE IT and inspect again. Nothing says I have to report condition on the old buckeled strut in the back of my hangar. JUST DON'T put it on an airplane!
Hank

[tabranch]

Re: Service Letter T-101

The Taylorcraft site is temporarily down.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Service Letter T-101

WE ( the Foundation) made our comments the day this "serviceletter" hit their ( Taylorcraft Factory) site. It is posted on this site. NO furthur comment at this time!

[alwaysoar]

Re: Service Letter T-101

Forrest, I've looked for it on this site and can't find it under service letter T 101. Would you point it out? Thanks

[fearofpavement]

Re: Service Letter T-101

Well, since probably very few T-craft airplanes are operating under FAR part 135, a service letter, service bulletin, mandatory service bulletin and so forth is NOT mandatory and is not required to be complied with. If the FAA feels it is important they will issue an AD and the owners WILL receive notice and have to comply. (often the AD says to comply with a service bulletin) The FAA recently made a statement clarifying this position.

Now that said, what HAS to be done and what could or should be done is not necessarily the same. So if there is a service letter or bulletin out there it would be good to know about it and decide whether it warrants action for your aircraft.