Recommendations for traveling A&P for an annual inspection

[gopalapagos]

Hi all,

We are planning on having our RV-7 repainted toward the end of the year (likely at Salinas, KSNS). The timing for the paint job will coincide well with when the plane is due for an annual inspection. Since everything will be taken apart by the paint shop anyway, ideally an A&P can pop in for a day or two at the end of the paint job and complete the annual inspection.

I've used couple of local A&Ps in the past for annual inspections, but am open to finding someone else for this specific task given that the plane will be at different location than theirs.

Thanks!

 

[rmarshall234]

Hi all,

We are planning on having our RV-7 repainted toward the end of the year (likely at Salinas, KSNS). The timing for the paint job will coincide well with when the plane is due for an annual inspection. Since everything will be taken apart by the paint shop anyway, ideally an A&P can pop in for a day or two at the end of the paint job and complete the annual inspection.

I've used couple of local A&Ps in the past for annual inspections, but am open to finding someone else for this specific task given that the plane will be at different location than theirs.

Thanks!

Sending you a DM

 

[BobTurner]

Hi all,

We are planning on having our RV-7 repainted toward the end of the year (likely at Salinas, KSNS). The timing for the paint job will coincide well with when the plane is due for an annual inspection. Since everything will be taken apart by the paint shop anyway, ideally an A&P can pop in for a day or two at the end of the paint job and complete the annual inspection.

I've used couple of local A&Ps in the past for annual inspections, but am open to finding someone else for this specific task given that the plane will be at different location than theirs.

Thanks!

Just my opinion: This sounds like a bad idea to me.
1. Paint shop schedules are known to slip. How will this affect your A&Ps schedule?
2. Have you checked with the paint shop? Their hangar space is their living. Even one extra day affects their bottom line.
3. Ideally you want to form a relationship with the local A&P of your choice. Ask his advice.

 

[RNB]

Nobody at the paint shop to do this?
I know a traveling AP but he is $$$ and wants things done to certified standards (ie no Viton o rings)

LSRM-A can do it also. I know of an online resource to look them up but recently got Mod smacked for posting links to businesses.

 

[Roadjunkie1]

Why not have your condition inspection done just before you send her to the paint shop? Just because it is 'due' on a specific date doesn't mean it can't be done before that date. Then you won't have to worry about all the issues brought up in post #3. And another thread of someone wanting to get a ferry permit to bring his airplane back from the paint shop.

I like to do '100 hour' inspections on SuzieQ which is the same as an annual condition inspection, thus resetting the clock. If for some silly reason I haven't put 100 hours on in a year, then it goes back to the date of the last condition inspection. But that's just me...........

 

[rmarshall234]

I like to do '100 hour' inspections on SuzieQ which is the same as an annual condition inspection, thus resetting the clock.

I like the idea of this, 100 hrs is a lot of TIS and deserving of a good look-see. What are you calling it when you log it however? Still a Condition Inspection or are you calling it a “100 hour” inspection? Just curious.

 

[Osprey2gp4]

I’m an A&P/I.A. and I would recommend you do the condition inspection prior to bringing it to the paint shop. The A&P will want to open every inspection panel and remove the interior to do the inspection. Your new paint will get damaged during that process even if he takes great care. Fresh paint is easily damaged just by removing the screws. Not to mention all the climbing in and out of the airplane and he will want to see the airplane re-assembled correctly after the paint, as all the control surfaces will have been removed and hopefully properly balanced by the paint shop.

Best regards,

Bill Wuorinen
Osprey 2 amphibian N137W
RV-7A N237W

 

[Roadjunkie1]

I like the idea of this, 100 hrs is a lot of TIS and deserving of a good look-see. What are you calling it when you log it however? Still a Condition Inspection or are you calling it a “100 hour” inspection? Just curious.

Since documenting a condition inspection is a requirement and a '100-hour inspection' is not, I log it as a condition inspection, thus resetting the calendar mandate for the next conditional inspection.

 

[BobTurner]

I like the idea of this, 100 hrs is a lot of TIS and deserving of a good look-see. What are you calling it when you log it however? Still a Condition Inspection or are you calling it a “100 hour” inspection? Just curious.

I have a quasi-official answer from the faa. I have the LODA for using my plane for transition training, and it says I need ‘a condition inspection within the last 100 hours’.

 

[bigmikeh24]

If your plane is being painted at T&P, Juan can set you up with an A&P that he knows.
He can do the inspection after the paint is stripped and before they paint it.
Then the A&P can verify everything was put back together correctly at the end of the paint job.

 

[gopalapagos]

Thanks for the feedback, all. Very helpful.

The suggestion to have the CI done before the paint job is definitely reasonable. However, one of the motivations my co-owner and I had for doing it alongside the paint job was to have a second, independent pair of eyes ensuring that the plane was properly put back together before hopping in and flying away. (My assumption was that more of the plane is disassembled during a paint job than a standard CI, but maybe that's not the case?)

I like Mike's idea of doing the main part of the inspection after the paint is stripped and before the plane is painted, followed by a final verification after everything is put back together. Yup, one option is to use a suggested A&P or IA from T&P. I also like the idea of having some other independent options.

Thanks again, and if anyone has follow-on comments or suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

[SwimmingDragon518]

Why not have your condition inspection done just before you send her to the paint shop? Just because it is 'due' on a specific date doesn't mean it can't be done before that date. Then you won't have to worry about all the issues brought up in post #3. And another thread of someone wanting to get a ferry permit to bring his airplane back from the paint shop.

I like to do '100 hour' inspections on SuzieQ which is the same as an annual condition inspection, thus resetting the clock. If for some silly reason I haven't put 100 hours on in a year, then it goes back to the date of the last condition inspection. But that's just me...........

how many hours do you have on SuzieQ total?

 

[Mike S]

Give Lee a call at https://www.teamlightaviation.com/

 

[Roadjunkie1]

how many hours do you have on SuzieQ total?

Due to some time off for......um.........'health issues'........and a thorough going-through to replace all hoses/lines, mags, landing/taxi lights, new instruments, and other updates, she "only" has about 1200 hours. Now: all that is done and her new condition inspection with that LONG list of things done has been accomplished and she is ready and eager to get some air under her wings!