How much airframe time is too much?

[minitour]

Originally Posted by shdw

Yes but if your rear axel falls off you skid to a stop and look like a fool. If your wings fold up you get a front seat to your funeral.

...which is why we do so much more mx. So the wings don't just "fold up".

Personally, I'm kinda looking forward to my rear axle falling off....right after the timing belt breaks ().

-mini

[trafficinsight]

You know how much interest you can make on the money you would spend on fixing wing corrosion? Why bother?

[Roger, Roger]

Originally Posted by trafficinsight

You know how much interest you can make on the money you would spend on fixing wing corrosion? Why bother?

Ugh. Corrosion. I've seen some ugly stuff at work in the last week or so...

[JordanD]

Originally Posted by trafficinsight

You know how much interest you can make on the money you would spend on fixing wing corrosion? Why bother?

Saves me the trouble of having to dump my old oil out at the car wash.

[esa17]

I've flown a few turds with 1000TTAF and owned two cherry airplanes that were over 4000TT.

It all comes down to the maintenance and housing of the aircraft.

I've been involved in buying and selling GA aircraft for about 4 years now and I wouldn't blink at 4000TT after opening a few panels.

[SpiraMirabilis]

Originally Posted by USMCmech

Compare the following.

3 year old C172 with 1500 hours, vs 40 year old Comanche with 8000 hours

The Cessna sits outside in Houston. Students learn to land in it, and have porposied it hundreds of times, plus all those screwed up crosswind landings. The firewall has been replaced once. Renters and students climb in and out 3-4 times per day, tearing up the trim, carpet, seats, ect. The engine has been overheated during slow flight countless times. It's been spun several times as students try to learn stalls. Students have been doing 0 G parabolas with the resulting 2-3 G pull out. 500 hours per year is actually low for a flight school airplane.

Vs

The Comanche was hangared in Lubbock. It's only had two owners, both of whom used it as their personal aircraft. It's been repainted twice, with a full strip, prime, paint job by a quality shop. The interior has been redone 3 years ago. There has been a few cases of hangar rash, but all have been fully repaired and documented.

I know which one I'd buy.


The point is that TTAF is only one part of the picture. A flight school Cessna ages about 5 years for every year on the line, and can be a total wreck in a short period of time. A private airplane that averages 100-200 hours per year will last basicly forever.

Paint jobs and interior refurbs are great because they let the mechanincs look at the bare metal one every 10 years or so.

I couldn't have said it any better.

Of course there are also the ones which are old worn out and flight school airplanes....

[Roger, Roger]

Originally Posted by SpiraMirabilis

I couldn't have said it any better.

Of course there are also the ones which are old worn out and flight school airplanes....

I'd rather fly one of my old school's 4000 hour 172s than some of the 1500 hour airplanes I've come across turning wrenches here.

[trafficinsight]

Originally Posted by Roger, Roger

Ugh. Corrosion. I've seen some ugly stuff at work in the last week or so...

Yeah, I know what you mean.

I've started taking the wing tank covers off of Cessnas at annual. One of the other shops on the field took one off for a leaking tank and found inter-granular corrosion had destroyed the wing attach fitting and spar inside the tank bay. There was no way to see it from any of the inspection panels, everything from the outside looked normal.

[Roger, Roger]

Originally Posted by trafficinsight

Yeah, I know what you mean.

I've started taking the wing tank covers off of Cessnas at annual. One of the other shops on the field took one off for a leaking tank and found inter-granular corrosion had destroyed the wing attach fitting and spar inside the tank bay. There was no way to see it from any of the inspection panels, everything from the outside looked normal.

Interesting tip.

[ppragman]

I'd almost rather fly one that's been wrecked a couple of times, then you know someones gone through the thing with a fine toothed comb once or twice.

[Roger, Roger]

Originally Posted by ppragman

I'd almost rather fly one that's been wrecked a couple of times, then you know someones gone through the thing with a fine toothed comb once or twice.

also, if you didn't, you wouldn't fly most of the airplanes in AK.

[OldTownPilot]

The only thing that is original is the data plate

[Alaska45]

I owned a 1966 150 that was used for flight intruction for the entire life of the airplane, had been wrecked twice, lived outside, and had a grand total of 18,242hrs AFTT as of July 2008 when I sold it still in annual and airworthy... to a flight school...
That airplane was still airworthy and flew somewhat straight but having said that its always a good idea to check the aircraft logs before taking out a rental bird.

[ppragman]

Originally Posted by Alaska45

I owned a 1966 150 that was used for flight intruction for the entire life of the airplane, had been wrecked twice, lived outside, and had a grand total of 18,242hrs AFTT as of July 2008 when I sold it still in annual and airworthy... to a flight school...
That airplane was still airworthy and flew somewhat straight but having said that its always a good idea to check the aircraft logs before taking out a rental bird.

Nice picture of the gorge in that avatar of yours, I miss some things about anchor-town.

[roundout]

Originally Posted by ppragman

I'd almost rather fly one that's been wrecked a couple of times, then you know someones gone through the thing with a fine toothed comb once or twice.

I agree with you in principle from a pilot's perspective. However, if you're talking ownership things are different. Even if everything is fine with the airplane, you still carry the burden of trying to sell it (eventually) with two wrecks in the logbooks. It can be damn near impossible to sell without taking it in the shorts.