Hi All,

New Owner here. Just a question off the top of my head. As a Owner/ Operator I know we can do nearly 45 items in preventive MX. I fly nearly 99% of the time by myself. Is it allowable to remove the Pax seat and fly it that way, without any approval needed? I was thinking about weight savings and when flying camping gear...etc. I could remove and secure gear where the seat is?

Anybody have thoughts? GO............

Did that with mine, plus removed the right yoke and drilled out the right door hinge for quick pins. Handy for hauling spruce spars (ran them through the rear bulkhead), mountain bike, camping gear, sleeping in the plane when caught out by weather, darkness, etc. Didn't ask anyone, just seemed practical.

Of course you're in a particularly litigious part of the world where every action risks ending you in a poorhouse, therefore the prudence of living life by what is confirmed as "permitted".

Technically, you should be calculating a new W&B and put it in the airplane's logbooks and operating manual. As a practical matter, few do that, when they yank the back seat of a 4 place, or pull or reinstall wheel pants, etc.

A quick story to illustrate: Just after I passed my first ATCO (135 charter) ride, for my first 135 assignment, I was asked to take a 182 to the A Bar A (that's A--A in brandspeak) ranch southeast of Saratoga, WY, to pick up the baggage of the heirs to one of the fashion designers (can't recall which--pretty unimportant to me!), while our chief pilot took the 310 there to pick up the people, and to fly to Denver so that they could catch their flight back to Paris or New York or wherever such "fine" people live. I arrived at the airport to find that the backseat and passenger seat had been removed, to provide room for all the anticipated baggage. The 206 was in the shop, so this was the substitute way to accommodate the need.

I asked about the new W&B and was told, "It's lighter." Oh. OK, but what about how to load it? "Use your best judgment." OK. With half tanks for the 250 mile round trip, the airplane was pretty light and sprightly going over the Snowies to the ranch. The pile of luggage was pretty daunting, though--amazing what one woman and a couple little kids "need" for a 2 week vacation at a fancy lodge. By the time I got it all in and tied down, the airplane was pretty packed--and a whole lot less sprightly climbing out of the airstrip.

At Denver, the Combs/Gates folks provided a van to haul the stuff to the gate, and the footman/butler/whoever for the family was there to greet me with several redcaps, to haul the luggage to their flight. Once the van was unloaded, he gave me a $20 tip! I guess that would be about $85 in today's money.

And that began about 10 years of part time SE 135 flying. Good fun, with lots of different experiences.

Cary

Thanks Cary for your input and story! Appreciate it.

Thanks for your input! Appreciate it! I was thinking that same thing. The Cessna 150 offers quite a bit of utility if not going into high or short strips. I can land the damn thing in less than 150' on pavement, take off is a little hairy on a grass strip less than 2000' but its been done, and in the heat of the south Carolina summer. Just looking to get that seat out of the way and even thought about trying to rig a stand to the tail tie down so I could scoot into the back and lay a sleeping bag from front to rear.