Rant

L

Luvrv8

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
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695
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Camarillo Ca
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KCMA flyer
Just blowing off steam here.

My airplane is a 1967 172H model. 6015 total airframe hours, mid time 0300D engine. I have posted before I was a Crewchief in the ARMY on OH58's and AH-64's, I am not a A&P but after 10 years of ARMY Aviation I can find my way around a plane and better yet I have repair and parts manuals and not afraid to open them. My good friend is a IA and looks over my shoulder as I do maintaince.

I put my plane in annual early this year as my wife and I are expecting twins next month, time will be hard to come by after the first of the year. So I tear out every inch of the interior, every inspection panal and get it ready for inspection. Not a bad inspection this year, lowest cylinder is a 72, ELT battery needed, pitot/static insp/cert, vacuum filter, engine air filter, replaced the battery due to time, decided to replace the brake hoses and fuel hoses due to time, found 1 mag gasket blown, reseal both along with the alt gasket. Installed a DME, sent both KX-155's and VOR's to American Avionics for a check up and allignment after getting a bad reading from #1.

After we did all repairs and inspections we were running the A/D's and my IA brought up the fact that a local flight school told me last year when I was looking to get my IFR ticket that my plane was "too old and would not fly with me".

Here is my rant. I maintain my plane to a higher standard then their planes, I have friends that rent there and a walk on the ramp shows my plane is in better shape. I would challange their reps to inspect my plane and prove to me otherwise that their planes are maintained to my planes standard and condition.

Why did they tell me "Your plane is to old for us to fly" instead of we would rather rent our plane to you to make more money? Yes my plane is older then me but that does not make it unsafe or non airworthy. Like I said just blowing off steam here. It bothers me that someone would label my plane "too old" to fly without a inspection or check of the log books.

This past year I installed Hooker harnesses to replace the lap belts, installed the STC Real Gasket pushrod tube kits, replaced all flap rollors, fixed all oil leaks on the engine, sprayed Corrosion X in the plane plus other things that dont come to mind. Bottom line is I dont wait to fix broken parts, I try to stay ahead by replacing wear parts before they break.
 
Find a new flight school, or an independent CFII.
You hit the nail on the head, they make more $$ renting you a plane and CFII, then they would just renting you the CFII.
 
Maybe they said "too old", and what they meant was "doesn't have all the gee-whiz flat screens that allow us to charge extra when we rent our planes that do".
 
I say give 'em the finger.....and find another school/CFI.

FWIW, I file and fly IFR in a '48 170. Your airplane is a young'un compared to mine!
 
I fly IFR in a '66. Tell them to shove it.
 
Seems to me that if a 1967 aircraft really was too old for training, half the flight schools would be out of business.
 
I dealt with a variation of the same theme...

With about 9 hours in my book, I bought a 2005 172SP with the G-1000 and a KAP140 AP...total time on the plane was about 65 hours. I openly discussed the purchase with the flight school owner, the CFI and anyone else who would listen...I was told that they would fly with me in my plane (which was not even in the same league as the leased back 172N I think it was they flew) for the cost of the CFI....

Cool.

When I landed back at my home drome with the bird, the story changed...uhhhh...our workmen's comp will not cover the CFI in your plane....uhhh...you will have to solo in our plane THEN maybe we will have our insurance worked out....blah blah blah...

I simply walked. Called the oldest, crustiest old dude on the field that I could find that had an active CFII and asked him to finish my training...

He told me no until I played the "I have my own plane" card on him....when he heard it was glass....he wanted to know what I had planned for 3:00 p.m. that very day...

Not letting an opportunity to go by to jab him back...I told him that seeing how his whole demeanor had just changed, I thought that my plans for 3:00 p.m. now included meeting him.

He finished my primary and instrument training. Learned tons from him...I still hear him going "aim point--airspeed--aim point--airspeed" on every approach.

Bottom line was the school was full of crap...I hired the secretary who works for me now...she let me in on the whole pile of BS....

Find someone that has your best interest in mind....bet that IA buddy of yours knows exactly who to hook you up with.
 
I have a free lance CFII who did my private and is now doing my IFR. Funny thing is that he has no problem doing actual in my 172 and his day job is flying a G V.

Like I said, everytime someone mentions the fact the FBO would not train me in my plane it just fires me up. And I mean it, if the FBO wants to inspect my plane and compare it to their plane, tell me where to park it and what time to be there. I am not blowing smoke, I do believe my plane gets better maintance then their trainers and am happy to prove it. (OK, truth is they do have better paint, I will admit to that)

Forgot to mention before my IFR training started I went to mid contenent and got my alt, turn cord, artifical horizon and DG rebuilt. I doubt most flight schools do this before it breaks.
 
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Let it get old enough they will beg you to allow them to fly in it.
 
My plane was built in 1958 - and I've never had an instructor refuse to fly in it. Ask around for recommendations for independent instructors - there are plenty out there.

Dave
 
Give it a couple more years and your wife will tell you you are too old to fly that old airplane.:redface:

José
 
Luvrv8 said:
Here is my rant. I maintain my plane to a higher standard then their planes, I have friends that rent there and a walk on the ramp shows my plane is in better shape. I would challange their reps to inspect my plane and prove to me otherwise that their planes are maintained to my planes standard and condition.
Click to expand...

Bottom line is that the flight school wants the revenue from you renting their airplane--it's as simple as that.

During the 15 years that I've been flying, I've heard some ridiculous things from flight schools and CFIs. Flight schools who won't allow me to use my own airplane, to CFIs who claim that they won't fly in those "risky" single-engine airplanes again once they get a job flying the Part 135 Navajo or Learjet. The good news is that all of those folks told me exactly whom to avoid flying with THEN and in the future.

Today, if your aircraft doesn't have a glass panel, it's an accident waiting for a place to happen. I fly IFR and don't even have an IFR GPS. I seem to get to the same places in the same amount of time as those with similar aircraft that do have fancy avionics.

I second the advice to find an independent CFI who will likely be more than happy to fly with you.


JKG
 
Luvrv8 said:
I have a free lance CFII who did my private and is now doing my IFR. Funny thing is that he has no problem doing actual in my 172 and his day job is flying a G V.

Like I said, everytime someone mentions the fact the FBO would not train me in my plane it just fires me up. And I mean it, if the FBO wants to inspect my plane and compare it to their plane, tell me where to park it and what time to be there. I am not blowing smoke, I do believe my plane gets better maintance then their trainers and am happy to prove it. (OK, truth is they do have better paint, I will admit to that)

Forgot to mention before my IFR training started I went to mid contenent and got my alt, turn cord, artifical horizon and DG rebuilt. I doubt most flight schools do this before it breaks.
Click to expand...

Really? A privately owned aircraft is maintained better than a rental airplane? I'd never of guessed.... Thanks for giving me that tip....

(I'm an actively involved A&P.... As a side note, I hate it when I'm told I have to scrimp and not really fix or replace something that ought to be done, but really isn't unairworthy yet. Fortunately my current employer goes the other way.)

But seriously, they are full of it. I'd be mad too, but sounds like you are better off with someone else anyway.
 
Simple solution - just come to Nebraska for whatever training you need.
 
U are right in your assumptions. If they don't want your buisness, I would like to believe that there are some CFII's who do.
Oh and I don't think they would tell you your plane was too old if it was a p-51 or b-25 or something cool, huh? And I used to fly part 121 in mid 50's CV-580 and it flew IFR just fine, Everyday!! :loco:
 
My bird turns 50 end of this month. Unlike the local rental flock it is hangared and babied. Never got pressure to only fly the rentals and would walk on by if I did.
 
I woulda rather them been honest with me. "We have a long line of future Air China pilots lined up paying a premium rate to rent our SR20s and don't feel that you'd be profitable to us". I do IT contracting, people walk in all the time with laptop in tow wanting me to remove spyware or something, I explain that basically, it's not worth it to me. Luckily Staples is next door and I hand them a coupon and send them over there. I don't tell them their computer is junk and I wouldn't touch it.
 
Find a CFI that wants to teach, not build time, and I bet he will love your airplane! Schools have to make money, and part of that is airplane rental, but a smart operator would rather have you paying for their CFI in your own plane vs paying an independent CFI. :rolleyes:
 
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