Pitot heat

[A and C]

If I have to sign for the check on the aircraft then the pitot heat will work before the aircraft leaves the sheds.

If you find that you have rented an aircraft that has a defect then put it in the tech log...........it wont get fixed if you dont.

[IO540]

A and C

Back when I used to self fly hire, the CFI would give me a bollocking when I wrote in the tech log things like

pitot cold
VOR not working
Radio #2 not working
DME not working
Landing light not working
Problems locking door

etc

[A and C]

The big problem with running a flying club is that student pilots and new PPL holders tend to put things in the book that are not problems , the usual sort of thing is " radio inop" and it turns out that the volume is turned all the way down !.

However if something is not working and it is not a safety issue and the club want the aircraft to fly untill the next check then the snagg should be put in the defered defect part of the tech log.

I suspect that like a lot of pilots the CFI at your club was not as up to speed on the technical paperwork as he should have been , when ever I do a recency check on a PPL holder I ask them if the aircraft has any defects outstanding the answer is usualy "no" then I ask them if the aircraft has any defered defects , I usualy get a very sheepish look and the question "whats that?".

[IO540]

A and C

However if something is not working and it is not a safety issue and the club want the aircraft to fly untill the next check then the snagg should be put in the defered defect part of the tech log

I agree 100% - all I can is from my own experience of three different schools is that none of them fixed things which were not legally required.

So a VOR or ADF or DME would not get fixed unless the plane was used for IMCR training. Instrument lamps would not be replaced unless it was used for the Night Rating (and out of a fleet of say 6 planes, only 1 was really needed for that).

If you run a school which is able to fix everything that breaks, at the next 50hr check, I am honestly impressed!

Before you ask why it took me 3 different schools to do the PPL, NR and IMCR, the reason is above

[Saab Dastard]

Useful thread, thanks guys.

From now on, I shall turn on the pitot heat as part of the pre-takeoff checks (and off in the after-landing). Assuming the d**n thing is working

Also, I will now remember to do my FRIEDA checks. A regular quick check on whatever part of the aeroplane is most likely to accumulate ice - e.g. fuel filler caps as Cusco suggests - can't be a bad habit.

Cheers

SD

[A and C]

IO 540

I dont run a club but I do lease two aircraft to a club , the deal is that the club fly the aircraft and pay for the fuel , oil and landing / hangarage fees etc .

I provide aircraft maintenance , insurance and all the technical support , in short they buy dry flying hours from me.

Quality maintenance is a key part of this because the people who rent the aircraft give an aircraft that is in good order much more care and respect.
I endevor to get all the snaggs fixed on the 50hr checks and as long as I GET TOLD about the snaggs then I have time to pre-order the parts.

The whole business model is to use top quality maintenance , fit top of the line radios and parts and have high utalisation , good comunication within the club is essential with on-line booking to keep the utalisation to a maximum and direct access to the engineering support via the club website.

Its a sort of easy jet of light aviation with flying costs to match.

[mad_jock]

Must admit that the school I used to work at got everything fixed at the next 50hour.

In fact i would get a bollocking if I didn't tell the boss if something was knackard.



MJ