AIUI, there are half a dozen SB’s available from different suppliers, ranging from a simple tensioning strap across the bottom to a full replacement of the spar with a single piece of machined aluminum, stronger than the original.
You could part it out, but the seller could, too, and maybe did.
The flying club idea is a very good one. So is soaring, if he’s into flying itself instead of going places. But if money permits, I’d rather own my own plane just like I’d rather own my own car.
Is your man planning to rent or buy a hangar, btw? Fabric skins deteriorate quickly if they’re left in the weather.
Alas there’s not much for flying clubs locally, he’s looked into that. Or to be precise, there are flying clubs but so far he’s not found anyone who’ll part lease a private plane to a newbie pilot. Can’t say as I blame them. There are rentals at the two local airports but they ain’t cheap and he can’t take them overnight. We have a business in TN and live in SC so he’s hoping to be able to do at least some of his weekly commutes by plane, fully realizing that weather may complicate things (we have road vehicles at both ends).
This plane sounds like it’s actually a pretty decent deal, the damage isn’t horrible and the fabric is in great shape. What he likes is that it doesn’t need special air fuel, it runs on plain 'ol gas. He does have dibs on a hangar too, and possibly one about 3 miles from the house, which is nice.
Again the rational part of me realizes that he’s probably been in more danger putting the 300k miles on his Scion (yes, not a typo) than he will be in the air. There’s just something about the thought of an almost 60yo cloth covered vehicle thousands of feet in the air that gives me pause. Gravity’s a bitch, y’know?
I really am looking for assurances that this craziness isn’t as crazy (or dangerous) as it sounds on paper. The finances of the thing… well… yes it’s expensive but we don’t have kids so what the hell. Might as well enjoy life while we can. I’m sure he’ll be fine… won’t he?
On the off chance that he gets it in the air and decides he hates it, how hard is it to sell a plane? That sounds like a stupid question given that we’re apparently buying one, but I’ve kind of had my head in the sand about it all so I don’t really know.
It would be a couple thousand at the least and a heap o’ paperwork, and that’s assuming there’s one designed/fitted for that particular airplane.
The BRS is useful in certain particular types of emergencies, but they’re very uncommon emergencies. Most of the time you’re better off piloting the airplane to the ground. Once you pull the chute handle you no longer have any control over the landing and you’re just a passenger. The non-pilot views a parachute like a sure-fire saving throw but pilots tend to look at them as potentially useful in a few exceptional cases but would rather spend more time on things like emergency landing practice.
Odds are there are very few original parts left, so while the airplane is 60 years old in one sense a lot of bits of it are much, much newer. For certain the cloth covering isn’t original.
As already noted, airplanes are inspected annually and inspected much more closely than any road vehicle.
The money part of a plane is the engine - they have to be rebuilt/replaced every 2000 hours or so if used in commerce (TBO - time between/before overhaul) - it is not required unless you rent it out or otherwise charge for rides, but the fact is they die pretty regularly, and the TBO is a good estimate of when your engine is going to need very expensive work.
The fabric, by comparison, is cheap and easy.
Have a good engine mechanic look at it, if one hasn’t already.
As an aircraft mechanic (A&P), I would say that he is on a good track to get a simple airplane. His choice in aircraft is a great one! I like these. They are simple to fly and maintain, not cheap, but simple. Disclosure: There is no such thing as a cheap airplane. If I were in the market for an aircraft, this is the way I would go! As I have in the past.
I am a part owner of a 1956 Cessna 172. It is a club aircraft. Ten of us mechanics bought it many decades ago. It was in fair shape with a “timed out” engine. IOW the engine was at TBO. Our insurance insisted on the engine overhaul for them to cover it. I proceeded to overhaul the engine while some of the other A&Ps addressed the other issues, mostly radios and paint. Then one of the IAs (A&P with an Inspection Authorization) certified it to be airworthy and signed off on our annual. I have signed off on the annual at least three times since then.
I also would have an independent party (preferably an A&P/IA) do a pre-purchase inspection. In fact, if he were to get an annual inspection done before the purchase he would be less likely to be hit with a big ticket item at the next annual. The IA will give him an annual sign-off with a list of discrepancies. Once an A&P does the repairs the mechanic will then have to either sign off on the repair, or if the damage is bad enough, he will get an IA to fill out a form 337 for the FAA and then sign off on the repair. Either way your new pilot gets at least two sets of eyes on the aircraft IRT (In Regards To) the airworthiness of this Piper.
I am sure that other pilots have told you that flying is statistically the safest mode of motorized transportation. This is true. However, pilots are very biased in favor of air travel. Not wrong, just biased.
Hey, if he needs someone to test fly this for him, let me know!
If you will feel more safe, if there was more insurance on him, to cover your bills should he die, then by all means tell him so. This is an easy fix for him! Be honest with him. You sound like you really do want to be supportive, to me.
It’s not that big a thing to ask for, just be honest and tell him your fear. You’ll feel a lot better.
This particular airplane has been sitting for a while, so a very good engine inspection is a must. Contrary to what you might think, a frequently operated engine lasts longer. Oil tends to drain down, exposing bare metal to rust, and gaskets and rubber parts tend to dry out and crack. None of that is an issue if it gets found and attended to, though, but a good mechanic will know what to look for.
saje, I hope your husband plans to get an instrument rating if he’s thinking of crossing the mountains frequently. The Appalachians are notorious for cloud covers lowering unexpectedly. Not an issue if he’s prudent about decision-making, though, and you’ve already mentioned easy ground transport readily available.
General aviation (i.e. small aircraft) is considerably more dangerous than the airlines, but I personally feel like the right attitude is what is going to determine if he is going to be a safe pilot or not, not so much his skills, although that helps.
I’m a fair weather flyer myself. The computer has many pre-flight sites now at his fignertips, (duats, fltplan, etc) which also enable one to get the latest NOTAM (notices to airman) and WX (weather). And even without getting his instrument rating, he can get flight following where he’ll have other eyes keeping an eye on him.
It’s extremely difficult to get lost now too with GPS, and there are collision avoidance systems that are interfaced with other electronics which again help make it safer. These are easily put in any plane. It’s actually very rare for any plane to plane collisions, anyway.
Worst case scenario, engine goes out, I bet he’ll still put her down safely. Just don’t have him going over any large bodies of water like the ocean, or doing any mountain top flying any time soon or ever. He’s going to be fine.
Maybe on a nice day, you and others can spend time where the airplane might eventually be hangared at. Have an eat out, and invite other pilots. If it is like my small airport, there will be plenty of lady pilots too. Talk to them, bet they will ease your concerns.
Why not? It seems that he is in the Appalachian mountains. If he can not fly in the mountains, he might just as well not fly. I learned to fly in the Rockies, so even Idiots can learn to be safe in the mountains. I must be a fair hand at this flying thing. I am still alive, and I am not that lucky!
What freaked me out at first on my first trip to Oshkosh was flying with ALL of the ground below me. Weird! I am used to having the rocks beside me and below me.
I do agree with most of what has been said here. Getting together with other aviation folks can help the OP to understand the risks of flying. That understanding should help to manage or alleviate the fear for her. Ladies do not think like men do, (I know a great shock here), so talking to a lady pilot may also help her. Check with the local chapter of the 99s, they are great folks and ready to help out folks new to aviation.
Mountain flying in small planes can be done safely, but you need to be aware of the limitations of the airplane and the particular hazards of that terrain. I’m mostly a flatland pilot but I’ve flown in Appalachia with no problems. I will also note that prior to doing so I sought out experienced advice from pilots in the local area to fill in the gaps in my knowledge.
We live in central SC now & he’ll be flying to the Chattanooga area, so yep, right over the tail end of the Smokies. They aren’t the Rockies, but big enough I suppose.
He’s a complete and total geek too (I nicknamed the The Alpha Geek at one point :p) so he’s eyeball deep in electronic helpers of all kinds.
The pilot groups etc is a good idea and I may give it a shot, but frankly while I’m happy that he’s happy I have no interest for myself. There’s a thread elsewhere on the board about couples doing things together when only one is really into whatever it is. We’re very much of the “go do it if you enjoy it, I’m going to go do this other thing instead” habit. He’s come to one or two of my horse shows just long enough to see me ride, and then he’s outta there. Fine by me, and while I’m sure he’d love to have me along if I were enjoying it, I think he’s probably better off with me being supportive from a distance
I taught for five years, and helped a lot of people get their certificates and ratings. Aviation is not particularly dangerous, it’s just very unforgiving of carelessness or poor decision-making. Personality and general aptitude play a huge part in an individual’s ability to assess risk and make prudent decisions. A chemist-turned-physician who is mechanically inclined and completely geeked about aviation would be my dream student. He’s obviously intelligent and self-motivated, probably quick to learn, and very likely to have good judgement. In addition, he’s physically active. Without meeting him, I’d say you have an absolute best case scenario on your hands.
Check with your life insurance provider about coverage now that he’s a GA pilot. Many insurers have a clause precluding coverage for pilots of light aircraft, or they just make it completely cost-prohibitive. AOPA can be a good resource if you find you can’t get what you want from a traditional insurer.
If he is interested in using the airplane as a mode of transportation for work, I’d STRONGLY recommend an instrument rating. In fact, I can’t stress its importance enough. The “get-home-itis” factor combined with unpredictable weather in your region is a classic scenario that gets lots of freshly-minted private pilots in trouble. He may have good judgement, but the pressure to get home for that special dinner or to get to work for that big, important meeting can have a surprising effect on the way people evaluate risks. An instrument rating will allow him to safely operate the airplane in marginal weather, and make him a much safer pilot in general. I’d wager that he’d really enjoy the very technical aspect of this other world of flying.
Or maybe not. Physicians and lawyers are particularly noted for *poor *aviation decision-making, not only to having enough money to buy too much airplane for their actual skills, but for having one or more of the Five Hazardous Attitudes: anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, and resignation.
saje, you know your husband better than anyone - is he vulnerable to any of those? If so, you need to share that concern with him.
Different mountains entirely, different skills and decision processes. The Rockies have thin air and strong, turbulent winds, creating its own problems, but they are far less susceptible to gradually lowering cloud layers that obscure peaks and have forced many a pilot into either the ground or into blind conditions, while they’re trying to force their way through before it gets worse. This guy needs to have the absolute need for awareness of weather and the ability to decide not to go hammered into him, if he hasn’t already. If he has, then fine, most pilots in the Appalachians don’t get into trouble. His instructor has to go over the need and process for setting personal minimums for himself *and sticking to them *- don’t go if the ceiling is or is forecast to be under so-and-so over any of the route, crosswinds at landing over X knots lateral component, etc.
