AKJurnee wrote:Its kind of like dropping a deuce with someone there holding the TP roll for you. Most AP/IA's need there space and concentration.

Strictly a personality problem. Plenty of folks out there who will let you assist to get the grimy unpleasant stuff out of the way (wheels, plates, cowls, bucking rivets, etc). And a lot of young adults and kids still earn a dollar here and there cleaning parts and plugs, and helping out in general. You own the plane. It is yours. You can do anything you want to it as long as the stuff that needs to get signed off is signed off.

This is a good piece that any pilot/owner who wants to perform maintenance should become familiar with:

http://www.aopa.org/Pilot-Resources/PIC ... aintenance

There is actually a surprising amount of latitude here.

wannabe wrote:....THE AI is the only one who can SIGN OFF any REQUIRED INSPECTION, ANNUAL, STC, Etc..

An A&P can sign off a 100-hour inspection, and I believe also the yearly "condition inspection" on an experimental.

I agree with Cary on the lawyer bashing issue, even though I have done it as well. The same with politicians. I have known more of the good ones than bad, in both professions, personally. Media may push our buttons to some extent.

My unit commander in the NM Guard, Tom Horan, was an attorney for Albuquerque and a state representative. The subject of unpaid and occasionally corrupt state politicians came up one drill. Tom was asked, "are there any honest politicians in state government?" Tom was teaching an annual training subject. He paused, looked at the questioner, and said, "I, I know ...one!" I hope he was kidding, but I don't know that he was.

One U.S. Senate election year in N.M., Harrison Schmitt came by the 717th to press the flesh. He mentioned learning to fly helicopters at Mother Rucker for lunar lander training. I asked him why he didn't join the our unit to become a weekend warrior and Huey pilot. He paused and considered it, but never joined. He was a good man.

I fussed to U.S. Senator Claire McCaskell that Missouri charged $17.00 extra for a Purple Heart license plate; calling it a "vanity plate." For that reason I never had one, claiming "Spilling my blood on foreign soil was not vanity and I didn't do it, Charlie did." She said it was a state issue, but she would talk to some people. The next plate I got was a purple heart plate and I did not pay $17.00 extra.

There are some times when the help is appreciated, but most of the time I can move faster if you stay out of my way and don't ask 50,000 questions. It depends on what you want to do. Do you want the fastest cheapest annual or do you want to learn your airplane so when something happens far away from anyone you have an understanding of what's going on and how to fix it. Most of the time I get the airplane dropped off.

Speaking of cheap annuals, one pipeline patrol company I worked for was so cheap they had a manual that listed the price they would pay a maintenance facility for various jobs. When they saw a maroon and red airplane on the ramp, the maintenance facility mechanics wouldn't even come out to see what I needed until I had completely uncowled and removed inspection plates, etc. Very few facilities, in 3,500 miles of pipeline, would work on our planes. We had outstanding looking airplanes with immaculate logs and very marginal maintenance.

Friend of mine went to a helo school in OK. Said they logged 100hr inspection airborne during a lesson.

Ok...I may have come off a little rude with my negative sentiments toward attorneys. Carry, I understand your position in defending attorneys, being that you are one, as I will defend my position being a technician. You seem like a standup person and the fact that you're on backcountry pilot makes you a good person because we share the same interest.

That being said, let's get back to the meat of this conversation. I personally feel that the topic of owner maintenance really isn't for BCP and should probably be on pilots of America, CPA, or something of that nature. Reason being, this forum is rittled with non-certificated mechanics (pilots) asking for information on how to perform maintenance tasks outside of the allowed guidelines spelled out in the FARs on certified aircraft, largely because they are backcountry pilots who should be knowledgable of their aircraft and prepared to make necessary repairs When absolutely needed in order to get home.

When it comes to owner assisted annuals, like I said before, they are a privilege I allow to a select few customers, for whatever reason. Their tasks are outlined, they aren't signing anything off, and it is perfectly legal to allow them to assist with maintenance as long as they are supervised. That being said, let's not compare owner-assisted annuals to "through the fence annuals or through the fence mechanics" who pencil whip annuals and maintenance. I feel that I can help owners become familiar with their aircraft through assisted maintenance. It's beneficial to them as pilots to understand systems and have the ability to make informed decisions in the event of mechanical issues both preflight and in flight.

Going back to the article, as a professional aircraft technician, the last thing I need is to take someone's opinion on how to decipher the regs. In my position, I need to be able to read the regs, interpret them, make a decision, and be prepared to accept the outcome of my decision and provide data to support it. I don't know how many times I've seen minor repairs be called major repairs because inspectors err on the side of caution rather than do their due diligence and see it for what it is. Let's face it, the Feds can't even come to agreement between different fsdo's when it comes to interpreting regs, approving 145, and 135 opps manuals....

Ben

I hear you, Ben. Government, nowdays, is about being and not doing. A long time ago I got an a 135 operating certificate in an hour of flying with the GADO man while his secretary typed up my hand written application. Much later, after President Regan fired the controllers, I checked the "will obtain Part 135 Certificate" on a fire watch bid. After winning the bid, I found out that it now takes a minimum of six months to obtain a 135. I was about to pay a huge penalty but the Forest Service lady let me off the hook. She said it was their fault for not changing the bid form. Like lawyers and politicians, there are some good people in government. Like Tom Horan, "I, I...know one."

And for you pilots out there: If it's the mess sergeant or mechanic; Do what he says! Don't fuss!