"Ron Natalie" wrote in
m:

And why do you think it's any more or less legal for the owner-pilot
to do so. If it isn't permitted, it isn't permitted. Your A&P may be
more conservative than you are, but the practices are supposed to be
the same.

That's an interesting question. Are they? [And I'm serious here... I
am not sure what the legal nit-pick answer is.]

For some things, it is clearly true. But as an owner/pilot under part
43.13 you are only constrained to "approved practices and procedures."
That is, I can't refill my oil sump with the latest miracle oil I
ordered from that SPAM I found in my in-box last week. And if I make my
own oil hose, I have to use the methods and techniques spelled out.

But what if I am repairing "decorative trim." I'm free to go down to
Home Depot and hunt through their rack of glues and fillers (all behind
a set of iron bars that would make Alcatraz proud).

Now in this case we are talking about sealing a water leak around the
windshield. Whether bright or not, I think you will agree that the
owner/pilot is legal to squirt most any little tube of stuff down into
the crack that he/she want to try. [Not talking about actually pulling
and resealing the whole thing - that clearly requires an A&P
regardless.]

The question is, can the A&P likewise go down to Home Depot to get his
tubes of sealant? Or is the A&P constrained to use the manufacturer's
instructions on the "proper" method to seal/reseal the windshield? I
know, for example, that the Piper manual calls out a particular sealant.
Does he have to use that (or approved equivalent)?

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James M. Knox
TriSoft ph 512-385-0316
1109-A Shady Lane fax 512-366-4331
Austin, Tx 78721
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