CYA at all times.
-Get a ferry permit, it won't take long to get it faxed out to you
-Fly it back to where ever you need to so that you can get the MX done on it
-Land short on a long runway, use aerodynamic breaking to make sure you get stopped
-Be ready to have the airplane towed off the runway if you can't make your turnoff
And if the FAA says you can't fly it without a special flight permit, then you might as well consider yourself grounded de facto. If they tell you that you don't need one that's one thing, but if they deny you one then it's obvious that under that FSDO's interp. the airplane isn't airworthy. So if you go and depart anyways, your original airworthyness certificate is assumed to be void because the aircraft isn't airworthy and you have nothing to suppliment it (I.E. the ferry permit). Departing in an unairworthy aircraft when the FAA already knows you've got a problem isn't exactly the smartets way to keep your certificates. Just get a mechanic out there.
And if anybody pressures you to make that flight, remember that whatever company you're working for/renting from doesn't give a crap about your certificates. They will do everything in their power to cover THEIR butt and hang yours out to dry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrh  Here's a bit of a "You're the captain" story for those in charge of Cessnas:
You return from a flight and, after landing, discover the left brake is almost completely failed. It has a small amount of power, but essentially goes to the floor and is useless. The right brake is still fully functional.
You're based at a small airport without any maintenance facilities.
Do you:
A) Fly the plane out to another nearby airport to get worked on.
B) Call the nearest FAA office and ask for a special flight permit.
C) Arrange for a mechanic to come to your airport and work on the plane on-site.
D) Come up with a solution I haven't listed.
If you opt for answer B), what do you do if the FAA denies you a special flight permit? |