Painting my Grumman Tiger seats

[ssscomp]

So, I have a 79 Tiger with blue vinyl seats in relatively good condition. I want to spray paint them a different color. Now before anyone gets carried away take a look at the photos below were a change the interior of my car from black to tan with canned vinyl spray paint. Eight years later it still looks great. Will also do the side panels. My question is this: do I need any authorization or FAA approval to do this? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[alfadog]

You will have to do a new w&b ;-)

 

[3393RP]

Please, just do it for the sake of freedom. Asking the FAA is like knocking a hornet nest off of a tree branch.

Someone will be along shortly to explain how you'll die in a horrible cockpit fire if you proceed with your plan.

One thing is for sure, the color change on your BMW came out great. Nice work.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

I'm sure I'll get flack for this but if it were me I think I'd go with as far as the FAA knows, they were always that color.

Kidding aside. If you really wanted to follow the letter, the only real issue I could see is that fabric things in airplanes have to be fire rated. If you apply paint to that fabric, you'd have to test it to determine that the paint did not lower the fire resistance below applicable standards. Hard to do that without burning some of the fabric. So yeah, I'd probably be back to as far as the FAA knows, it was always that color.

 

[Bell206]

My question is this: do I need any authorization or FAA approval to do this?

In general, any time you alter the interior materials it requires some sort of retesting regardless if it was certified CAR 3 or Part 23. Here's some reading material:
http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_20-178.pdf

 

[1RTK1]

I would imagine if you had a big enough fire in the cockpit to light your seats on fire that would be the least of your worries.

 

[3393RP]

I would imagine if you had a big enough fire in the cockpit to light your seats on fire that would be the least of your worries.

That's what I was thinking when I recommended he proceed.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

I would imagine if you had a big enough fire in the cockpit to light your seats on fire that would be the least of your worries.

That's absolutely true when the seats are flame retardant which is what they're supposed to be. But if you alter that flame resistance, you could end up in a situation where a spark or heat source can ignite them. Now you've got a fire that you wouldn't have otherwise had.

To be clear, I'm not saying that applying paint to them would cause this to happen. I doubt that would happen at all. But if they're supposed to resist burning for x minutes at y degrees, and you paint them, I believe you would technically need to verify that they still resist burning for x minutes at y degrees in order to be letter of the law legal.

To be fair, likely the biggest risk isn't from the FAA at all but rather from an IA who discovers the paint job at some later date and then refuses to sign off the annual due to the suspected illegal alteration. I'd guess the chances of that actually happening are somewhat lower than not likely but also somewhat higher than not impossible.

 

[Eric Stoltz]

Someone will be along shortly to explain how you'll die in a horrible cockpit fire if you proceed with your plan.

8 hours and 8 posts.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

To be fair, likely the biggest risk isn't from the FAA at all but rather from an IA who discovers the paint job at some later date and then refuses to sign off the annual due to the suspected illegal alteration.

If you are going to worry about that, you might as well hang it up. There isn't an airplane in this country that couldn't be found to have the wrong number of angels dancing on the tip of an aerial given the fact that no two AIs would ever agree on how many angels are required to be dancing on the said tip of the aforementioned aerial.

Appendix A to Part 43—Major Alterations, Major Repairs, and Preventive Maintenance
(c) Preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is limited to the following work, provided it does not involve complex assembly operations:

(9) Refinishing decorative coating of fuselage, balloon baskets, wings tail group surfaces (excluding balanced control surfaces), fairings, cowlings, landing gear, cabin, or cockpit interior when removal or disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is not required.

(10) Applying preservative or protective material to components where no disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is involved and where such coating is not prohibited or is not contrary to good practices.

(11) Repairing upholstery and decorative furnishings of the cabin, cockpit, or balloon basket interior when the repairing does not require disassembly of any primary structure or operating system or interfere with an operating system or affect the primary structure of the aircraft.

 

[jsstevens]

8 hours and 8 posts.

Slow day.

 

[Tom-D]

My question is this: do I need any authorization or FAA approval to do this? Thanks for any suggestions.

No.

 

[Fiveslide]

Someone will be along shortly to explain how you'll die in a horrible cockpit fire if you proceed with your plan.

No.

Someone will be along shortly to tell Tom that he is wrong. That seems to be a pattern on this forum as well.

 

[Bell206]

Thanks for any suggestions.

Of all the suggestions listed, the best one is to check with the IA who will sign off your next annual as they'll be the first one to critique your decision.

 

[Tom-D]

Of all the suggestions listed, the best one is to check with the IA who will sign off your next annual as they'll be the first one to critique your decision.

What Possible objection could anyone have?
Is there any required approval needed for any work done in compliance with FAR 43-A (c) 1-31.

 

[Bell206]

What Possible objection could anyone have?

Considering an annual inspection is subjective to the IA performing it, you never know.

Heck, I've heard of some IAs who object to a pilot touching up his prop with paint even though it's acceptable to do so under FAR 43 Appendix A(c)(10) and the OEM prop manuals.

 

[mr_happyland]

Please post your results!

 

[JAWS]

Considering an annual inspection is subjective to the IA performing it, you never know.

Heck, I've heard of some IAs who object to a pilot touching up his prop with paint even though it's acceptable to do so under FAR 43 Appendix A(c)(10) and the OEM prop manuals.

LOL!

 

[tmyers]

As long as you get the paint from the Aviation Department at Lowe's you are good to go.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Timbeck2]

I work very closely with the FAA.

by the powers vested in me, I hereby authorize you to change the seat color of your airplane.

POA - Pilots Overthinking Again

 

[MuseChaser]

I work very closely with the FAA.

by the powers vested in me, I hereby authorize you to change the seat color of your airplane.

POA - Pilots Overthinking Again

Does that mean I can paint over all those brown stains?

 

[Timbeck2]

Does that mean I can paint over all those brown stains?

It certainly worked for me. I used vinyl dye on my headliner and it looks brand new.

 

[FreqFlyrJr]

Regardless of how the FAA will see this, I can't imagine this looking as decent as if you just reupholstered them using the ladies' sewing group at your local church.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

Regardless of how the FAA will see this, I can't imagine this looking as decent as if you just reupholstered them using the ladies' sewing group at your local church.

Completely disagree. Frilly flower prints are never a good look for airplane seats.

 

[Timbeck2]

Completely disagree. Frilly flower prints are never a good look for airplane seats.

Uh oh. Um....define "frilly."

 

[Juliet Hotel]

Uh oh. Um....define "frilly."

I dunno... This maybe?

 

[Timbeck2]

<wipes forehead> Whew! Okay, that's good.

 

[Skyrys62]

(10) Applying preservative or protective material to components where no disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is involved and where such coating is not prohibited or is not contrary to good practices.

That's the only part I could see right off that could be an arguing point for the flame resistance concern.
I'm assuming good practices would be to retain flame retardancy ( yes I made up that word)