February 2007 - American Bonanza Society

PASSPORT WARNING!By the time you read this, January23rd is past, and the deadline for havinga current, valid passport is here! Iwon't go into the rules for boats andcruise ships, or for the rules for crossinginto the US from Canada orMexico. However, in conversationswith the Customs officials at FortPierce, Florida, which clears most ofthe general aviation nlirnlrlnP" ....returning from the Bahamas (which I do a coupleof times a week), there will be zero tolerance for those enteringthe United States without a current valid passport.It gets worse. If anyone an yaur airplane manages to arrivein the US wi thout a passport, you, as the pilot in command maybe subject to a S5.000 fine, plus you will have to transport themback out of the country!Before you generously offer to transport your condo neighbor'sgardener back home to Florida, make sure you inspect thepassport of everyone who is gaing to ride in yaur airplane.NOW, ON TO AVIONICsThe New Year and all its excitement is far behind us now,and for some '" the northern climes, you are in thethroes of "The Dark Ages!" I don't know of anyone, nomatter what the weather, who does not at least go out to theairport and pat his or her Bonanza on the nose. While you areat it, why not peruse your airframe and engine logbooks for theinspections that are due in 2007.Pay particular attention to static/altimeter checks andtransponder checks. Not many pilots forget the due date oftheir annual inspection Cprobably because of the pain of theexpense of paying for it last year), but the static checks andtransponder checks are easier to overlook, especially in themidst of a busy sununer of flying.FAR 91.411. Altimeter system and altitudereporting equipment tests and inspectionsCa) No person may operate an airplane or helicopter in controlledairspace under IFR unless (I) within the preceding24 calendar months, each static pressure system, eachaltimeter instrument, and each automatic pressure altitudereporting system has been tested and inspected and foundto comply with Appendix E of part 43 of this chapter.1 won't bore you with all of the part 43 instructions exceptto mention that this is the inspection whereby a mechanic oravionics or instrument shop tapes your static ports shut, thenapplies vacuum to the system to simulate climbing youraltimeter/static system to altitude, up to the published serviceceiling of your airplane.A mechanic can perform the static evacuation portion ofthe test, but unless the shop has invested in a very expensivetransponder check instrument, that part is generally done at anavionics shop.Again, without going into the published allowable altimetererror tables and allowed "bleed-down" times, your altimeter/staticsystem error cannot exceed +/- 100 feet.Static system leaksAlmost all older Bonanzas I've seen begin at some pointto exhibit static system leaks. This starts the man-hour billexpense while the technician chases the source of the leaks.The leaks frequently end up being in the altimeter case, whichmeans the added expense of a new or rebuilt altimeter. The billkeeps going up!Finally, when the static/altimeter test is satisfactorilyaccomplished, here comes FAR 91.41 3, entitled "ATetransponder tests and inspections." This test is easily confusedwith the 91.411 test, but they are different and require differententries into the airplane's maintenance record. The 413 testcan only be accomplished through the use of a very expensivetest box. Thus, one test can normally be conducted by an A&Pat a maintenance shop; the other test is usually done at anavionics shop.The airplane owner gets two bills for what he perceives tobe the same test. but it gets worse! FAR 43 further specifiesthat any time the static system is opened, FAR 91.411 must bepelformed again.Let's say that the maintenance shop has to repair, removeor reroute a static line. To the airplane owner it seems like asimple procedure. The expected bill is not pleasant, but thenthe owner spots another $250 or so on the bill for a static checkthat he just accomplished a few months ago. Oh the pain, theanguish! The accusations of price gouging!I've spent portions of the last few articles trying to explainwhy it costs so much to maintain a Bonanza or Baron. Beforeyou form a committee to boil me in oil or hang me in effigy atthe next ABS convention, I'd like to enter this defense: Yourautomob ile, boat and riding lawnmower are expensive tomaintain, too, due to the rising cost of trained labor and parts.However, with those devices, there is no federally reg ulatedlaw that directs who can work on them, and where the partscome from. In the avionics/aviation maintenance business,eVelythilig is regulated by the FAA!The person who touches your airplane either is, or isdirectly supervised by an A&P. That mechanic has spent at