Hello Everyone,

Things have been busy since leaving CubCrafters and being back in Chelan full time. I didn't intent to get another job, I was going to work for myself out of my hangar, and sell some real estate with my wife. But, Metro Aviation (national helicopter operator) offered me a position doing the maintenance at new medivac base about 20 miles from home with an EC 135, and maybe a PC 12 added in the future. Part time job with full time pay(on call 24/5, couldn't say no. Anyways, I am without anything to fly for a little while longer and am working on a deal with the owner of a Tri-Pacer.

Here's the details:

Young aircraft owner bought a Tri-Pacer and a vacation cabin by Chelan airport. He is a student pilot with only 20 hours in over 6 months due to an ACL replacement and not living here. He is tapped financially and can't barely afford fuel right now. He works in Seattle and can only get over every other weekend for his lessons.

I have a hangar and am an A&P, he needs hangar space and some work done. We have started to work out a deal.

I would love some advice and opinions. I can insure the aircraft for me to fly, and he has insurance for when it is in the hangar. I charge $50.00 per hour for work I do. We need to figure out what a dry value is for the Tri-Pacer.
We agreed on a 6 month deal, to be reviewed and renewed if it still works for both of us after 6 months. We decided on 6 months because I may have my own aircraft by then, and it is short enough of a time period that most reasonable people can weather it if the deal goes sour.

Anything else anyone can think of that I am missing? Would me using this aircraft be considered "renting" and be cause to need to do 100 hour inspections and have a different sort of insurance?

Having a base per hour value would be a good start to getting this together. The owner and I get along great so far and have like interests in destinations and things to do when we get there. Most likely some of the flying I do will be with him coming along. I also may be able to fly over and pick him up at Renton now and then. I have other reasons to go there than just picking him up, so it would benefit us both.

Looking forward to the wisdom of the BCP members on this.

David

David,

I am not up to date on dry rates anymore. I was a pilot/instructor only but have been pleased with those kinds of deals with mechanics. When it comes to how the FAA will interpret a relationship, it depends on the FSDO and their agents. They tend to go by what pleases them. A way to keep insurance low is a club. Those I was involved in were multiple member, but usually gave the mechanic flying time for keeping up with things. It sounds like that might be financially a long term solution for him. You could work out your flying time easy as both mechanic and instructor. I found the club thing the best way to get a lot of students. I just like to teach. Usually I was too busy spraying in the summer. Sounds like your job might give you the part time flexibility I had.

Jim

Thanks. I think this deal will work out good for both of us.

The deals can work on barter. Just figure out a fair dry rate, and run everything like monopoly money. Try to not allow too much "balance/liability" to grow in any persons favor, limit the time for balance redemption, and that will prevent any hard feelings if something doesn't work out, or the airplane becomes unavailable for any reason.

As for the 100 hour -- I can't say if it'll be required or not, but if it becomes a problem (IE: it's flown 100+ hours/year between the two of you), I don't think it would take too long for you to do a 100 hour. Balance it against just moving the annual up and paying the prorated months.

As a general rule of thumb I charge $40.00 bucks a hour for A&P work , and $300.00 a month for hanger space for small single engine aircraft. I use a lot of "barter" this for that. Annuals are a different barter or money exchange - I prefer to do " owner assisted" annuals , maintance is a added and sepetate charge - changing tires,brakes etc is maintance - even during annual. We also do rigging, weight and balance and prop balance all at a set rate depending on aircraft.

We have it worked out pretty good I think. Right now he needs lots of little odds and ends taken care of. I work on it for an hour, I fly it for an hour (I put my own fuel in) We agreed to leave it half full right now for better performance on our recent 100+ degree days. If one of us needs to go further than a 1/2 tank, we'll top it off before leaving.
We also agreed this is a 6 month deal. I will hopefully be buying something in the next 6 months and will need the hangar, if not, we will review and discuss our deal.
Now I just have to get the bungees changed out, install the shoulder harnesses and fix the radio so I can go fly it.

D.