What did you pay for your last annual?

[Guest]

What are you guys paying for annuals these days?

[flylo]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

My IA charges $400. I do the tear down & reassembly. He is very thorough. He just did my annual & he spent over an hour looking in each wing. Everything was fine,just needed compass fluid & a mag gasket. I used to pay $150,but now I get a better annual,which is what I want.

[cpirrmann]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

I paid a lot but at the last two,I had major work done at the same time. I don't think mine were unreasonable though.

[Dano"T"]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

$450 for annual $250 to put floats on another $250 to take them off and install landing gear.

[astjp2]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

I do my own, so all I have to pay for is the oil and gaskets that I replace when I take things apart. If I was to do someone elses, its 250 for an owner assist,,,,,,,IE they disassemble it and reassemble it when I am finished. if not 500. Tim

[robbie]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

I open it up and close it, oil the pulleys and stuff like that.
$200. for his labor. I supply the parts, oil and most of the tools and test equipment.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

We charge $100 for the log book entry plus actual time at $40 per hour. Average base annual starts around $500.

Mike

[hangarb7]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

I do all the work except the compression test under his watchful eye.

$300

Only problem is that he schedules three or more months out. Actually waiting for him now but this strut business is going to mess the whole timing, I bet.

Jack
Western PA

[crispy critter]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

Guys,
Come to kentucky. My IA charges $350 if all you need is oil.....you don't even have to help.....if you want to pull it apart and reassemble it's about $160 plus the cost of oil....his hourly rate is $35 per hour. All his annuals are based on the book and not by the hour. He compares to the C-150 at 10 hours as per the book and that's what you pay unless something is found that needs repair or replaced. He is very fair,very honest,and very cheap. Give him at least a weeks notice.

[Robert Lees]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

My Inspector (UK equivalent to your IA) charges £80 (say $160)

We do our own strip-down & reassembly.

Obviously, parts needing repair, etc is extra..but still the same sign-off fee.

Why is everyone changing oil at Annual time? Ours gets changed at 25 hr intervals...if the annual comes at 12 hrs, i.e. between oil changes, so be it. No point throwing good money after bad, eh?

[matsuthunder200]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

Here in Alaska it is not as a good deal as you guys get.
Shop labor is up to 80$ a hr at most shops. Its anywhere from 600 to 800 here if everything is fine.

[crispy critter]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

Rob,
Part of a legal US annual is to check the oil and screen for contamination. I feel the same as you about it but the IA here will not do that,even if you just changed the oil yesterday....if you didn't let him look at the oil and oil screen then he will change it again.

[Guest]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

Rob,
Part of a legal US annual is to check the oil and screen for contamination. I feel the same as you about it but the IA here will not do that,even if you just changed the oil yesterday....if you didn't let him look at the oil and oil screen then he will change it again.

I put appendix 43-D below for reference.

Notice paragraph (d)(3). There is no legal requirement to change or inspect the oil. There is a requirement to check the screens and drain plugs.

The word oil is highlighted in red each time it is used for your convenience.

You could drain the oil to check the sump plug and reuse the oil just like folks do in the winter when they drain it and then heat the oil then refill just before the next flight to make cold starting easier.

If you have a quick drain then you do not have any kind of sump plug to check.

To be perfectly frank I suspect that sump plug refered to here could mean magnetic sump plug but I am not 100% sure. I say that because the wording is "on the sump drain plugs" and in my mind implies magnetic. My FSDO thinks it means a magnetic sump plug too.

Get your AI to read the regs. The position he is taking sounds incorrect and is wasting your $. In the end regardless of what the reg says he may choose a more rigorous apprach and then you have to live with it.

The appendix D spells out the minimum legal requirement. My only point is that the minimum leagal requirement does not include changing or inspecting the oil.

Appendix D to Part 43—Scope and Detail of Items (as Applicable to the Particular Aircraft) To Be Included in Annual and 100-Hour Inspections
(a) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall, before that inspection, remove or open all necessary inspection plates, access doors, fairing, and cowling. He shall thoroughly clean the aircraft and aircraft engine.

(b) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) the following components of the fuselage and hull group:

(1) Fabric and skin—for deterioration, distortion, other evidence of failure, and defective or insecure attachment of fittings.

(2) Systems and components—for improper installation, apparent defects, and unsatisfactory operation.

(3) Envelope, gas bags, ballast tanks, and related parts—for poor condition.

(c) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) the following components of the cabin and cockpit group:

(1) Generally—for uncleanliness and loose equipment that might foul the controls.

(2) Seats and safety belts—for poor condition and apparent defects.

(3) Windows and windshields—for deterioration and breakage.

(4) Instruments—for poor condition, mounting, marking, and (where practicable) improper operation.

(5) Flight and engine controls—for improper installation and improper operation.

(6) Batteries—for improper installation and improper charge.

(7) All systems—for improper installation, poor general condition, apparent and obvious defects, and insecurity of attachment.

(d) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) components of the engine and nacelle group as follows:

(1) Engine section—for visual evidence of excessive oil, fuel, or hydraulic leaks, and sources of such leaks.

(2) Studs and nuts—for improper torquing and obvious defects.

(3) Internal engine—for cylinder compression and for metal particles or foreign matter on screens and sump drain plugs. If there is weak cylinder compression, for improper internal condition and improper internal tolerances.

(4) Engine mount—for cracks, looseness of mounting, and looseness of engine to mount.

(5) Flexible vibration dampeners—for poor condition and deterioration.

(6) Engine controls—for defects, improper travel, and improper safetying.

(7) Lines, hoses, and clamps—for leaks, improper condition and looseness.

(8) Exhaust stacks—for cracks, defects, and improper attachment.

(9) Accessories—for apparent defects in security of mounting.

(10) All systems—for improper installation, poor general condition, defects, and insecure attachment.

(11) Cowling—for cracks, and defects.

(e) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) the following components of the landing gear group:

(1) All units—for poor condition and insecurity of attachment.

(2) Shock absorbing devices—for improper oleo fluid level.

(3) Linkages, trusses, and members—for undue or excessive wear fatigue, and distortion.

(4) Retracting and locking mechanism—for improper operation.

(5) Hydraulic lines—for leakage.

(6) Electrical system—for chafing and improper operation of switches.

(7) Wheels—for cracks, defects, and condition of bearings.

(8) Tires—for wear and cuts.

(9) Brakes—for improper adjustment.

(10) Floats and skis—for insecure attachment and obvious or apparent defects.

(f) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) all components of the wing and center section assembly for poor general condition, fabric or skin deterioration, distortion, evidence of failure, and insecurity of attachment.

(g) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) all components and systems that make up the complete empennage assembly for poor general condition, fabric or skin deterioration, distortion, evidence of failure, insecure attachment, improper component installation, and improper component operation.

(h) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) the following components of the propeller group:

(1) Propeller assembly—for cracks, nicks, binds, and oil leakage.

(2) Bolts—for improper torquing and lack of safetying.

(3) Anti-icing devices—for improper operations and obvious defects.

(4) Control mechanisms—for improper operation, insecure mounting, and restricted travel.

(i) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) the following components of the radio group:

(1) Radio and electronic equipment—for improper installation and insecure mounting.

(2) Wiring and conduits—for improper routing, insecure mounting, and obvious defects.

(3) Bonding and shielding—for improper installation and poor condition.

(4) Antenna including trailing antenna—for poor condition, insecure mounting, and improper operation.

(j) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall inspect (where applicable) each installed miscellaneous item that is not otherwise covered by this listing for improper installation and improper operation.

[Garry Crookham]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

I agree with Dave, the only requirement (we’re talking A65-C85 engines) is to examine the screen, there is no requirement to change the oil. I would ask everyone who changes his or her own oil to please make sure to enter the oil change in the engine log book, that is a requirement. Several years ago an elderly gentleman asked me to annual his Cessna 150. The airplane was perfect, never spent a night outside, excellent maintenance from day one, and the owner changed the oil every 20 hours or 90 days, whichever came first. The only problem was that there were no oil change entries in the logs for the 23 years the man had owned the plane. I explained to him that it was required by FAR’s to make an entry, and if I were to sign the annual off and something bad happened at a later date it would be impossible for me to justify to the jury hearing the inevitable lawsuit how I could consider the airplane airworthy if the oil had not been changed for 23 years. Luckily, the man kept a notebook with dates and tach times of the oil changes. We made a copy of his notes and attached it to the engine log with a header stating that the notes were now a permanent part of the maintenance records….problem solved.

Garry Crookham
N5112M
Tulsa, Ok.

[NY86]

Re: What did you pay for your last annual?

Not to be a nit picker, but the only oil change information you need in the aircraft records is the most recent one. Once a maintenance task has been superceded, the previous record is no longer required to be kept. Not that it's a good idea, but you can write the oil change entry on a paper napkin and put it "with" the aircraft records, and next time you change the oil, write the record on a different (new?) napkin and dispose of the old one...