page 45 - American Bonanza Society

ABS Air Safety
Foundation
By Thomas P. Turner
ABS Averts
New Circuit Breaker AD
FAA has adopted ABS Air Safety Foundation’s recommendation
and will not issue a new circuit breaker Airworthiness
Directive. As ABS earlier proposed, FAA has
released a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin
(SAIB) with a suggested (but not required) 2000 hours
Time in Service (TIS) replacement schedule for switchtype
circuit breakers, or 600 hours TIS for high-use
training airplanes. The SAIB affects Beech airplanes
and Cessna 400-series twins, and any other type certificated
or Amateur-Built Aircraft with the same type
of circuit breaker installed. You may view the SAIB in
the Airworthiness Directives and Service Bulletins forum
of ABS Hangar Flying at https://bonanza.org/forums/
index.php?topic=100680.0.
Earl Lawrence, manager of the FAA’s Small Airplane
Directorate in Kansas City, told me he greatly appreciates
ABS-ASF’s input into the circuit breaker issue, and he’s
pleased to be able to adopt ABS’ recommendations.
I believe the SAIB does everything we need to do in
the interest of safety – it makes pilots and aircraft owners
aware of the issue, and it recommends preemptive replace
ment on a realistic schedule but does not require
replacement if the breakers are in good working order.
Using the 2008 circuit breaker AD as a guide, this
saves most ABS members airplane down-time and
between $2000 and $4000 apiece in circuit breaker
replace ment, including labor, if a new AD had been
issued requiring replacement.
ABS Board member and Technical Committee chairman
Tom Rosen writes:
www.bonanza.org
The ABS Flight Instructor Academy is
now live! This new program, brought to
you through the generosity of members
who have donated to the ABS Air Safety
Foundation, is an industry-changing effort
to improve all Beech pilots’ performance,
confidence and safety. Our goal is nothing
less than to assure all ABS members have
access to safe, type-knowledgeable flight
instructors for local training as well as
BPPP Online+Flight and BPPP LIVE.
ABS
Flight
Instructor
Academy
Are you an experienced flight instructor wanting to
become even better at teaching in Beecchraft Bonanzas,
Debonairs, Barons, and Travel Airs? Do you want to learn
how to safely and effectively teach in Beech airplanes,
but don’t yet have experience in type? Would you like to
become an instructor in ABS’s Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency
Program? Do you want to increase your business as a
full- or part-time flight instructor? Then the ABS Flight
Instructor Academy is for you. Do you know a superb
flight instructor who will be even better with the benefit
of ABS’ type-specific experience? Invite your CFI to enroll
in the ABS Flight Instructor Academy. Or enroll him/her
yourself as a reward for excellence.
Over 50 years
Beech experience
This is a prime example of one of the things that
ABS does for its members, and that probably would
not have happened otherwise. BeechTalk, AOPA and
other entities would not have been able to accomplish
this. It is why I became a member of ABS many years
ago, and why all Bonanza and Baron owners should
belong. This one accomplishment will save many
members an amount greater than the cost of an ABS
Life Membership.
This is but one example of the unique power of ABS
to improve your Beechcraft ownership experience.
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Volume 13 • Number 5 AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY 11