Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#2040937
I think it's worth saying that whilst a lot of advice here is pointing you to going the 'permit' route. For a group, that can have its pitfalls as much as having a Part 21 aircraft like a Warrior.

Part 21 aircraft must be maintained to an Aircraft Maintenance Program that complies with Part ML. The owner becomes responsible for the standard of maintenance and most, if not all, place that responsibility in the hands of an approved maintenance company who then become the 'Continued Airworthiness Maintenance Organisation' (or CAMO as they're known).

Having a group place its aircraft with a CAMO removes any risk of internal conflict in the event that costs arise that some might consider unnecessary. If the CAMO says it's not fit to fly then the matter is out of the groups hands.

The problem in a permit group, especially one that is doing its own maintenance is that the situation can occur where the fitness of the aircraft becomes debatable between those doing the work and those simply contributing towards it. Maybe in a ten person group, only one or two actually carry out the work. If they say the aircraft should be grounded and the others feel the defect is carryable then the situation becomes a breeding ground of discontent. Permit aircraft might be cheaper to operate but the CAMO has a strong role to play in keeping the group stable.

That said of course. It depends on which CAMO you appoint and how honest they are at providing a cost effective service to their customers. That, I'm afraid, is a subject that deserves its own debate.
User avatar
By Rob P V2.0
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#2040942
As a two-person group, only one of whom has (extensive) engineering expertise, we have never had a problem until we lost the unique Hatz as our LAA Inspector. The new Inspector is 100% useless and effectively sells signatures at two hundred quid a time.

We have accidentally found a remedy for this by employing Touchdown to carry out the compression check. Will arrives to do this in person, and since the aircraft is at that stage fully stripped down, casts his eye over the whole ship and passes on years of experience casually and at minimal additional cost.

You might think that the co-owner being a Wing Commander Engineer (RAF) Retd. we'd need little oversight. But we have discovered the the RV-6 has little commonality with the EE Lightning or the Panavia Tornado.

Rob P V2.0
T6Harvard liked this
User avatar
By kanga
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#2040949
Rob P V2.0 wrote:I think I caught him once measuring up to see if he could replace the Lycoming with a RR Avon. :shock:

Rob P V2.0


ISTR someone (former RAF FJ) bringing a tiny homebuilt to the Gloster Strut's 'show and tell' (at Staverton, when in MP3's golden days we could have those on summer evenings there <sigh> ). He had incorporated a throttle lever from a Hunter .. :)
By Sky Warrior
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#2041217
Thank you all for your replies. A lot of information has been posted here and tons of very good advice. Lots of things here I hadn’t thought about and just shows that asking this question was incredibly worthwhile.

Many thanks all. :D
TopCat liked this