>Dave; >I apologize for the cheap shot. You are correct in the coupes great >saftey aspects and other attributes. Maybe I overreacted in feeling >that in many of your messages that you are playing it too macho. I to am >leery of the FAA and IRS and I generally try to stay within the accepted >norms to avoid scruteny. I have thought that you advocated ignoring many >things that would do just that and get some other couper in trouble. I >felt that telling someone that an automotive part was better(whether >true or not)is inviting a ramp check. We don't need those, espectially >ones that show a lot of unauthorized mods. As you know, the coupe is a >very modified(without paperwork)plane. The first thing my AI asked me >was if I had the paperwork for the rams head style control yoke. I >didn't. N99068 didn't have any (legal)paperwork with additions, in over >25 years. With much work and expense, I think I'm up to date. As for the >polls, I meant that to mean that if everyone voted, we'd have the clout >to get rid of the Bad Apples in Government. I realize that no one votes >for an FAA official. >Once again I apologize for offending you. I am not sending this to >Coupers as I don't think that is what that forum is for. >Jim Powell >N99068
Jim, My point in the reference is that it is appalling that off the shelf auto parts are better quality than aviation quality. A problem which I find frightening,,, that the FAA BS'es the world into thinking that "certified" or STC'ed parts are safe when that just is not necessarily the case. You would never buy a car as unreliable as aircraft are or at least you would never buy another. This isn't being macho as you infer but just not hiding my head in the sand. Bottom line for me is that my butt comes first and I would rather fly with an auto part than be upside down in a field with a certified part if I can't find a certified part I can trust. It is a choice each of us must make. I've known pilots who never have had an annual done on their plane, not something I advocate but I'm not going to throw stones, it's his butt. Would my plane stand up to a ramp check, no, not if the inspector wanted to find something. I seriously doubt any Coupe would. I'm sure you are sitting there thinking "not mine", well think again. All he has to do is find one oversized sheet metal screw without a 337, and the potential violations go on from there and are limitless. Some years ago a close friend purchased a new set of header pipes for his coupe form a very well known aircraft supplier. Upon takeoff he found he had lost a tremendous amount of power with these new pipes. His rate of climb was no more than 100 FPM. After landing they were removed and inspected. Everything looked OK externally. Eventually we decided to inspect them internally. I brought home an arthroscope form the hospital which we used, it's a (really expensive) borescope. What we found was a tiny lip inside that interfered with flow. He sent them back and they were replaced with another set exactly like the first. These went back and again were replaced, same problem. He then talked to the FAA about this problem who informed him that they were legally made by a company with PMA. End of the story as far as the FAA was concerned. He eventually ground down the lip again with the benefit of some surgical instruments. Bet you didn't know we used instruments in surgery you could use at home now did you? Don't worry I cleaned them up and had them resterilized. Yes we need to cut bone and stainless steel prosthetics from time to time. The end result is a set of pipes that are now no longer legal but are safe to fly. Like I said you have to do what is right for you, don't criticized someone for doing what they feel comfortable with, even if it does not match your opinion. And don't be afraid to point out that aircraft "quality" is inferior. Without complainers like me the newly available solid state ignition systems that are now coming on the market would not be there. The technology has been there for years, they just have to know there is a market out there that is dissatisfied enough to warrant the expense of getting it certified. BTW thanks for the apology Dave
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