The adventure begins

[simtech]

Well today was my birthday and we had planned to fly to the zoo. We got a late start and walking out to my truck my mutt friend left me a present to step in. Now I have a Great Dane so it was a big present! We get to the airport and decide not to go to bhm to the zoo but instead fly down to jackson, ms which is the same distance to bhm. We load up and off we go.

Cruise along and trimmed perfect, almost like having autopilot. Lucky for us we had a nice headwind of about 20kts. 1.2 hours later we arrive to gusting winds at 14. No big deal all was good. Get he crew car and ate some good Mediterranean food in jackson.

2 hours later back at the airport..hit the starter and nothing but a spinning prop. Would not start or even try to. Primed it, cold start procedure, hot start procedure, flooded procedure, hooked up the start cart and still no start. About 45 minutes go by in all. So I had a buddy fly down and pick us up. Plane is still there 100 miles away.

I have a mechanic close by but hey the field won't let him work since he does not belong there. Yeah I'll never go back there. Now my plane sits and their mechs won't be in until Monday! What a day!! And still no reason why it wouldn't start. Mag?? Got me I hope not.

 

[dBrad]

Call me crazy but if my mechanic was willing to fly in and work on it I'd ask him to do just that. I've never heard of an airport taking a plane captive from a maintenance perspective. Is it a private field?

 

[simtech]

Call me crazy but if my mechanic was willing to fly in and work on it I'd ask him to do just that. I've never heard of an airport taking a plane captive from a maintenance perspective. Is it a private field?

No it's not private. He had said he has been run off there before.

 

[dBrad]

Ask them what they did to your plane. Hate to be that accusatory ordinarily, but good grief that's quite the racket they have going there. What airport/fbo?

 

[catmandu]

Ask them what they did to your plane. Hate to be that accusatory ordinarily, but good grief that's quite the racket they have going there. What airport/fbo?

Test lead clipped to the P-lead and the frame sure would be easy, wouldn't it?

 

[simtech]

Test lead clipped to the P-lead and the frame sure would be easy, wouldn't it?

I looked at the p leads and they were tight on the mags. I found a loose wire on the ignition switch but that didn't fix it either.

 

[somorris]

Doesn't make sense to me. If it was running fine when you landed and now won't hit a lick. I think if I were in your shoes, I would see if my buddy would fly back down and give it one more try. I wouldn't see both mags going at the same time like that. It seems to me it has to be something to do with the fuel. Did they fuel it for you? Maybe your mixture cable came loose or is slipping?

 

[simtech]

Doesn't make sense to me. If it was running fine when you landed and now won't hit a lick. I think if I were in your shoes, I would see if my buddy would fly back down and give it one more try. I wouldn't see both mags going at the same time like that. It seems to me it has to be something to do with the fuel. Did they fuel it for you? Maybe your mixture cable came loose or is slipping?

Nope I did not take on fuel. I flew down on the left and was going o fly back on the right. When nothing would happen I switched back to the left but still nothing. I'm gonna try to get back down there today and try it again.

 

[hindsight2020]

I'll tell you I had that happen to me as the new-to-me owner of a warrior II a couple years ago. Almost fried the starter. Worn out impulse coupler. Sucker doesn't snap as reliably and it's hit and miss as to whether you're gonna get a good spark at the adequate time. Eventually I got it to fire by doing short cranks and flew home. Replaced the impulse coupler no biggie, AP showed me the thing, it was obvious it was worn out.

Good luck.

 

[simtech]

I'll tell you I had that happen to me as the new-to-me owner of a warrior II a couple years ago. Almost fried the starter. Worn out impulse coupler. Sucker doesn't snap as reliably and it's hit and miss as to whether you're gonna get a good spark at the adequate time. Eventually I got it to fire by doing short cranks and flew home. Replaced the impulse coupler no biggie, AP showed me the thing, it was obvious it was worn out.

Good luck.

I'm gonna get down there today and try it out. And you know it never starts real easy anyway so maybe this is it.

 

[hindsight2020]

I'm gonna get down there today and try it out. And you know it never starts real easy anyway so maybe this is it.

Yep, those were the symptoms. Once we replaced it, doing nothing different on the prime front, the sucker started within 3 blades. I thought I had put a whole new engine the difference was night and day.

 

[BillTIZ]

Airports cannot prohibit "through the fence mechanics or instructors" as long as they are properly business licensed, rated, and insured. Take them to task, the airport managers, they could lose Gov't AIP funding over that. They cannot create or support one business over another.

 

[simtech]

Airports cannot prohibit "through the fence mechanics or instructors" as long as they are properly business licensed, rated, and insured. Take them to task, the airport managers, they could lose Gov't AIP funding over that. They cannot create or support one business over another.

Well you will like this then. The airport manager is also the fbo owner!!

 

[dBrad]

Seriously, what airport/fbo?

 

[cgrab]

In our hangar lease agreements it says we cannot bring in outside mechanics to work on our planes. It protects the mechanic that also rents his space from the airport. I don't see how they can enforce it on a transcient.

You can always sell a small part of your plane to the mechanic. Now he is an owner and they can't stop him from doing anything to HIS plane. You can always buy it back when he is finished.

 

[Dav8or]

Well you will like this then. The airport manager is also the fbo owner!!

No wonder such a racket exists! You know what sometimes fixes this kind of crap? Cameras. Go down there with your mechanic, a buddy and an obvious camera. When Boss Hogg comes out to stop you, you tape him and his explanation as to why you can't do what you're doing. Find the rules for the airport first, before you go.

Is your plane parked at public transient, or at the FBO? If you are parked at one of his FBO's tie downs, he then can say what you can and can't do. It's basically private property that he rents from the city, or county. I wouldn't doubt that he has written himself a nice ordinance that prohibits non permitted mechanics from performing work on the airport and he hands out the permits. Maybe AOPA should have a look at this?

 

[simtech]

Seriously, what airport/fbo?

I'm gonna wait until I get my plane out of there first. Then I will tell. What really bothered me about all this was im a transit plane...they tried to call a mech in but he never answered. So I called a mechanic I knew who is actually close by and he had said he has been run off a few times. The FBO mechanics don't come in until Monday so why throw a fit when I have a mechanic who can come in on a weekend when theirs can't. That's what makes me mad about it all. I was al game to use their mechanics but none would or couldn't come in.

 

[Geico266]

If the airport has taken federal funds for building anything at the airport they cannot stop legal "aviation activities" from taking place. Maintenance of aircraft is an "aviation activity" and they cannot stop a licensed A&P from coming on the field to work on a transient aircraft. Lots of FBOs try and stop experimentals, but quickly learn they must pay back all of the federal funds they have received if they don't allow "aviation activities". Call the EAA legal department and they can give you chapter and verse about what FARS apply. Been there, done that. The little power hungry moon bats quickly fold when confronted with the regs.

This reminds me of Bubba's Radiator repair shop at the top of a ten mile long hill in the desert.

 

[simtech]

I found faa AC 150/5190-6. It states what you said. I think when I get my plane back or I'm at least down there getting ready to leave im gonna talk to the owner/airport manager and see what's up.