Sport Pilot Talk

Newbie question:

I am currently in training at Lockwood in Florida. In the same building I train in there is a full Rotax service department with mechanics working on engines and aircraft all day.

The airport also has several T hangars, and as I watch the service department every day I think about how lucky the people are with LSA planes in these hangars. Got a problem? Taxi down to Lockwood and get it solved.

And then I thought where do other LSA owners get their aircraft serviced? If your plane is not safe enough to fly, what do you do?

In my plane search I have been looking for a company that will have parts supply and good support, but it's now occurred to me (I'm a slow learner!), where will I have a plane serviced when I'm home in Tennessee? Am I going to have loooong periods without an aircraft to fly due to service delays? Locally we have several small airports, and the usual Cessna service centers, but no Rotax centers that I'm aware of. According to Rotax there are some independent Rotax techs about 2-3 hours away by car.

My nearest LSAs are a Skycatcher 45 minutes south, an Aeronca Champ two hours east, and a Skycatcher two hours west. None of those are Rotax.

Sorry for the long ramble, but the short question is how do you non mechanic guys service your aircraft?

Give these guys a call: http://southtecaviation.com/

Looks like they'd be about an hour away from you...

There is a growing list of Vans Service Centers. They aren't limited to just Vans however, and do Rotax servicing. The one at Calhoun GA isn't too far from TN.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/12-SLSA-centers.htm

I located an A&P/IA who is also fully Rotax trained and qualified by Lockwood. He's about 30 mins in the RV-12 or 2.5 hours by road near Augusta GA.
I've thought about doing some maintenance/servicing work like oil changes, plugs myself etc but to tell you the truth using 93 non-ethanol exclusively I change the oil every 50 hours and that's working out at one visit for oil change every 4-6 months, and other odd servicing. At the annual he changes oil and plugs. So maybe 2-3 oil changes per year. If I'm flying a bit more it's another visit to change the oil and an excuse to fly. He can do an oil change quickly and efficiently and we have a chat about planes and all the latest with Rotax and LSAs etc. He has cases of oil, plugs, filters etc in stock. It also means he has a fairly continuous look at my plane over the year.
He lives on an airpark which would be cool but my wife's not interested...ah, well. Plus..there's AWAYS one thing that I need or question and I end up calling him or flying there anyway as he has all the tools for everything Rotax. Being retired and enjoying Sport flying and 'keeping it simple' and economical I can't really justify doing it myself and I always learn something watching him and listening.

If I'm grounded he will fly up in his own plane to help.
He's been really fair on pricing and compared to buying tools and paying for the course qualification it's been a no-brainer so far.

The manager at my field flies an RV-6 and is also the maintenance/avionics guy and he said he's going to get qualified by Lockwood and become a Vans Service center (so he says) so that would be an added resource.

One reason I took a long look at the SkyCatcher was because it had the Continental engine which every maintenance shop can work on.

You're smart to think about servicing and maintenance especially as the number of Rotax qualified mechanics is still growing The important thing is that it IS growing.

Thanks for the feedback and advice. I will add those sources to my list. If anyone else has advice, feel free to add to this list!

If you end up with a Rotax powered a/c, the Rotax Flying Club's site has a map of all repair facilities.

Here's the link: http://rotaxflyingclub.com

As the owner of an E-LSA, my situation is a bit different.

I think the last time a ROTAX mechanic got involved with my engine was 2011, when Roger did the rubber parts change. I also sent him my carbs a while back for a rebuild.

Other than that, I've done all the maintenance and inspections myself. A big advantage to E-LSA if you're mechanically adept and so inclined.

I was lucky to have a ROTAX mechanic at nearby Dahlonega, but I've been unable to contact him recently. He helped me with a few things a while back.

I think the nearest ROTAX mechanic right now is in Brasstown, NC. Billy Payne who assembles and sells Just Aircraft. He'd probably be my go-to guy if and when I need one.

Which brings up another point - often when you need a mechanic, flying the plane to him or her is not an option. My Dahlonega mechanic had a large tool van and would travel to where I was for expenses. Best to know who can do that for the first time your plane is AOG.

Pretty soon I'll be ready for yet another rubber parts change. I'm toying with the idea of combining it with a trip to Lock Haven's Sentimental Journey and having Prof. Shuch do it, if he's so inclined.

I'd be happy to do your rubber replacement, Eddie, but (1) Sentimental Journey is a busy week for me, and (2) my Summer intensive training course starts the day after. So, plan to come up here the week before the fly-in!

drseti wrote:I'd be happy to do your rubber replacement, Eddie, but (1) Sentimental Journey is a busy week for me, and (2) my Summer intensive training course starts the day after. So, plan to come up here the week before the fly-in!

That would be the plan.

I'll give you a call soon.

Greg, getting something repaired isn't the problem it might first seem...altho' as Howard mentioned, sampling your options now and folding them into your aircraft buying decision sure beats doing it in reverse. A couple of thoughts:
-- The plane won't suddenly fall apart and be unairworthy. One of the best things about ownership is that you'll have your hands all over your plane regularly. Just washing it with the occasional wax job it will lead to you noticing small changes that hint at something which might be afoot. Assuming you are somewhat diligent (and you sure seem to be that kind of guy), you'll keep a list of questions and squawks going ('What does that streak on the belly mean?' 'I'm finding a drip of brake fluid on the hangar floor.') and will then get them answered and addressed proactively, perhaps in conjunction with a fun flight. Doing that along with the Annual Condition Inspection (see more below) may be enough to help you avoid 'downing' the aircraft altogether. It has for me.
-- That leaky brake line can be repaired at your own airport. In fact, depending on what you buy, you may find that much of the airframe is already familiar to a good A&P/IA. Don't forget that they see lots of experimental a/c as well as certified, which is a highly varied fleet all by itself. Conversely and as I think you already noted, the more 'unique' your aircraft (relative to the GA fleet at large), the harder you may have to work to get a problem addressed. A dent in the tail of your metal aircraft caused by a clumsy motor vehicle? Disappointing but most likely remedied by your local wrench turners. A cracked tail section in a composite a/c? Could well be a different story.
-- Many GA aircraft - and this may be true of LSA's as well; IDK - have maintenance manuals, repair manuals and illustrated parts manuals. That's certainly true for the Rotax. These can be tremendously helpful to an owner, even if he doesn't want to actually maintain his a/c. It doesn't have to be just you, your a/c and the tool box from home in that otherwise bare hangar when trying to figure something out.
-- Similarly, type clubs can be tremendously helpful...and that's along with forums (fora?) like this one, as we saw e.g. when Rich was trying to resolve his fuel pressure issue. And one of the best things about type clubs isn't just that others have walked in your footsteps before you wrote your check. There are inevitably some A&P's who become relatively more expert for a given a/c type/model, and that body of knowledge is worth considering before choosing to get a problem addressed by someone just because they are closer. A great example is the Annual. We gratefully drive 4 hrs - twice - to get our Annual done (me flying, my wife picking me up and then delivering me) because the A&P/IA doing the work oversaw the construction of 82 of the same make & model. Once we arrive in Bozeman and lose that expertise, I'll consider flying over the Rockies to western Washington to get something comparable. So...yet another thing to add to that 'which plane should I buy' decision tree: Is there a type club? How deep and wide are its resources for me, the new owner?

And I haven't even touched on the kind help that is available, often for gratis, on most active airfields, from the peer group you are joining.

Greg, what you really need is a good A&P. They don't have to be LSA specific. If you have the maintenance manual for your model, all the common procedures are spelled out. You can get your A&P to do everything (or if you are lucky, you can do a lot of it under his/her supervision -- you learn a ton that way) that is not highly specialized.

For example, my A&P does a lot of stuff for me, but he has no Rotax training. So we realize the limitation there and if the engine needs anything more than simple maintenance, we'll either consult with Rotax mechanic who can explain it to us, or I take it somewhere for "real" Rotax service. But most maintenance like annuals and normal maintenance are just like any other airplane and easily tackled by any good A&P.

Some things will require very specialized work, but those cases are rare and can be handled by sending out the offending part for repairs, then get your A&P to reinstall and sign off the work.

MrMorden wrote:Greg, what you really need is a good A&P.

Or alternatively, a good LSRM! Don't assume that an A&P is necessarily better (or worse) because of the difference in required training.

drseti wrote:

MrMorden wrote:Greg, what you really need is a good A&P.

Or alternatively, a good LSRM! Don't assume that an A&P is necessarily better (or worse) because of the difference in required training.

Not better at all. Just easier to find!

drseti wrote:

MrMorden wrote:Greg, what you really need is a good A&P.

Or alternatively, a good LSRM! Don't assume that an A&P is necessarily better (or worse) because of the difference in required training.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a LSRM can't supervise maintenence like a A&P can. That is one of the things Andy mentioned in his post.

In fact, an LSRM can indeed supervise Preventive Maintenance, which the owner/operator is authorized to perform himself or herself. In other words, if you want to uncowl your engine, change your oil, change tires, replace brake pads, and remove and replace inspection covers (all things you're allowed to do) while the plane is in my shop for a condition inspection, you are allowed to do this. It's called an owner-assisted annual. And if you want me to watch you to make sure you're doing this right (or even teach you how to perform these owner-permitted tasks), there's nothing in the FARs to prevent that. What I can't do that an A&P can is hire a non-licensed assistant to do these tasks under my supervision.

"In fact, an LSRM can indeed supervise Preventive Maintenance"

If the owner is already authorised to do the preventative maint. work then it isn't an owner assist.

Preventative maint. by the owner which is usually listed under the aircraft's maint. checklist and or FARs does not need to be supervised. The owner can do that work any time they want without an A&P or LSRM-A present. Anything that requires an LSRM-A to perform a specific task the owner can not assist. An LSRM-A does not have the authority to do a true owner assist like an A&P can.