Tips and tricks!?

[jj le roux]

Would you care to share a bit more specific detail about that Vertical Tango?

[Gyronaut]

On the topic of maintenance I agree wholeheartedly with Saraf.

The law says somewhere that the owner is allowed to perform 'on-route' maintenance. For example Adding oil, replacing a clogged filter etc.

Surely when your machine is in your hangar, it is waiting 'on-route' to be flown to the next exciting destination? No?

Therefore I reckon that owner preventative maintenance should be encouraged and should fall well within the law, as I am inclined to believe it does. Don't go do unapproved mods of course, but routine maintenance can NEVER be illegal.

Thats my unofficial opinion btw. Look after your machines and they will look after you!

Len

[Vertical Tango]

JJ and Len, I assume that you were present at the last SAGPA AGM.
I advocate that the owner should be allowed to do anything he wants on his machine. I also feel that a gyro pilot is someone, by the fact he is a pilot, is not an imbecile who does not have common sense and should judge himself if he is capable or not of doing such maintenance. May be his skills are only flying and he does not want to get involved with sparkplugs etc ... He is mature enough to assess his limits in that regard. But the more you are involved with what makes it tick, when a problem occurs in flight, you are much wiser to take an appropriate decision.
At the SAGPA meeting, I was the only one who stood up against the ruling advocated by CAA and the Aeroclub that only an AMO is allowed to fix anything on a gyro, and I asked if that was also applicable to someone who built his own gyro (which is my case), and I was told that was the case. It was then suggested that I should write exams to "understand" what goes on !
I then said loud and clear that rules will have to change as for one would not follow them.
I fail to understand that I have to teach an AMO how did I built my gyro in such a way that he has to fix it because I am not allowed to.
However, at the yearly inspection, another pair of eyes is always welcome.
We should encourage every pilot to fix his own machine. Some would have more respect for it.
By the way, on the funny side, I always kiss the nose of my gyro after landing, to thank her to have brought me back safely home.

[weedy]

Here are some of the relevant regs.

My understanding is that u can do the work but it must be signed of by AME / AP

Persons to carry out maintenance
44.01.4 (1) No person may carry out maintenance on an amateur built aircraft or a productionbuilt
non-type certificated aircraft, or any component thereof, unless such person –
(a) is appropriately rated or approved on type by the Director or the organisation designated
for the purpose in terms of Part 149, as the case may be, to carry out maintenance; or
176
(b) carries out the maintenance under the prescribed supervision of a person authorised by
the Director or by the organisation referred to in paragraph (a). A dual check of the
maintenance carried out must be performed by a person referred to in sub-paragraph (a);
or
(c) is the owner of the aircraft provided that an appropriately rated approved AMO, AME or
Approved Person, rated in accordance with Subpart 4 of Part 66, performs a dual check
on the maintenance which was carried out; or
(d) is an appropriately rated approved AMO, AME or approved person, rated in accordance
with Subpart 4 of Part 66.
(2)(a) Components and parts intended to be used on non-type certificated aircraft may be
fabricated by a person or organisation not licensed in terms of Part 66 or Part 145.
(b) The owner of the aircraft must provide the Director, or the organisation designated for the
purpose in terms of Part 149, as the case may be, with evidence that the components or parts
meet the minimum specification for the component or part as specified by the Original
Equipment Manufacturer.
(c) An appropriately rated approved AMO, AME or approved person, rated in accordance
with Subpart 4 of Part 66 shall sign off the component or part in the appropriate logbook.

[saraf]

according to this piece in the law you are allowed to do maintenance

is the owner of the aircraft provided that an appropriately rated approved AMO, AME or
Approved Person, rated in accordance with Subpart 4 of Part 66, performs a dual check
on the maintenance which was carried out; or

it just needs to be checked by a AP.......... if I read this paragraph correctly.........

[Vertical Tango]

When the weather is bad, go to the airport with your toolbox and go through every bolt and nut there is. It is worth every min it takes you......

Let's go back to the subject at hand. We are not talking about major mod or overhaul here.
When the weather bad, how easy is it to get quickly an AP to have coffee with you while you " go through every bolt and nut there is".
The idea is good, but I don't need an AP to do that !