Chapter 26.3: Inspections
I've had a number of inspections from other builders along the way and they are documented in Visit's page. Here I just want to note inspections in the Hangar phase of the build.
EAA 187 Tech Advisor's Inspection 4-22-19:
Deene Ogden and Seth Hancock spent 2 hours with me going over the Cozy from tip to stem and they had lots of good advice on improvements for long term maintenance reduction and some good recommendations for things to fix to make the FAA Airworthiness Inspection go more smoothly. We talked about brakes, which I've had some leaking problems with by the calipers, and lots of advice on how to better secure wiring fuel lines/flow meters in the engine compartment. We talked through the electrical system setup and they paid particular attention to my controls. I was really thankful for their taking the time to carefully look things over and though I need to spend more time on some things like wiring and brakes, the results will be well worth it.
Deene Ogden and Seth Hancock spent 2 hours with me going over the Cozy from tip to stem and they had lots of good advice on improvements for long term maintenance reduction and some good recommendations for things to fix to make the FAA Airworthiness Inspection go more smoothly. We talked about brakes, which I've had some leaking problems with by the calipers, and lots of advice on how to better secure wiring fuel lines/flow meters in the engine compartment. We talked through the electrical system setup and they paid particular attention to my controls. I was really thankful for their taking the time to carefully look things over and though I need to spend more time on some things like wiring and brakes, the results will be well worth it.
FAA Airworthiness Inspection:
I've submitted the full package for airworthiness inspection to the FAA FSDO office in San Antonio and been assigned an inspector. He's a very nice guy, but is quite overloaded with other work. I've talked on the phone with him a couple of times and it appears that all my paperwork is in order. After a couple more calls, and discussion with his manager they found some time on calendar to enable the initial inspection which happened 8-6-19. The inspector was great! Super thorough and informative both about recommended adjustments and things to watch out for as flight time accumulates. We built a squawk list as we went and we agree'd that within the next 3 or 4 weeks he'd examine my build log and this site, complete the package, and come back to confirm the squawks were handled and finish up the paperwork. It was a very positive experience and I learned better how to shift my attitude from "builder" to "inspector" at this stage of the process to insure a safer flying experience. The scheduling of the 2nd visit was a bit easier, but clearly one needs to remember that inspections for GA/Experimentals are at the bottom of the totem pole of FAA FSDO responsibilities. I was patient and we were able to make it happen a month later. He again was very thorough going through all the paperwork and we did a walk around and pushed the plane out and I went through engine start, run, shut down actives so he could see at least on the ramp that N78CZ is a smooth running bird. We also completed the paperwork for my Repairman Certificate (only for N78CZ, as the builder), and reviewed the Operating Limitations, which included the area I'd requested for Phase I flight testing. This was overall a really positive experience, after getting over the initial scheduling trials. I definitely understand the need and utility of the DAR program, but I feel fortunate to have met another person in the aviation community that really helped me both see what was needed and why at this critical juncture of the process. |