Oh no! Someone having the audacity to disagree with King Weir!
That'll make him spit out his morning latte! Stand by for the flames.

Good points John, and I agree wholeheartedly, but can you expect every
A&P to fully understand each and every detail? I don't care to pay
for an A&P's education, but it's almost like saying that you obtained
your 30 years in a few months.


On 13 Mar 2004 12:31:27 GMT, ospam (JohnN3TWN)
wrote:

As a confirmed "lingerer" it broke my heart to hit the reply button, but as a
30+ year general aviation mechanic, ham radio hobby buff, and electronic hobby
tinkerer, I felt compelled to add my voice here. Any body that understands
that tranistorized dimming system (and its just not that complicated) SHOULD
KNOW to verify that the light chain is not shorted before sticking in a new
transistor. A short is about the only thing I've ever seen that will kill the
otherwise beefy 2N3055 transistor. I'm not trying to brag about my skills but
just stating facts.....I could have had that problem diagnosed in about 15
minutes and had the transistor changed in less than two hours....and I know
better than to try to light the lights before I correct the short in the light
chain.....'cause if ya don't.....guess what.....there goes another transistor.
Sounds like you need another mechanic...at least another one to deal with
electrical/electronic problems.

And to Mr. Weir......the 337 is for Major repair and Major ALTERATIONS. As
the chief inspector for a large repair station, if I see an aircraft for an
annual with some kind of aftermarket or home made dimmer system....it better
have a 337 associated with it....not because I'm a jerk or an a**hole, but
because that is what the regulations require. Unfortunately, if I ignore that
or miss that and the owner rolls the aircraft into a ball, even if it had
nothing to do with the accident, I could be in big trouble with the feds or
possibly be sued by the estate and loose every thing I've worked so hard for
these last 30 plus years. I've been the biz long enough to have seen that when
there is an accident with death or serious injury, the FAA and the lawyers go
after any body they can get their hooks into....and if I haven't towed the line
with the regulations, it could be implied that I have been neglegent in my job.

If you want to own and fly a certificated aircraft, then do so in accordance
with the regs, if you're a tinkerer and enjoy working on your own ship....and
more power to you, then build a home-built and any thing goes....even doing
your own yearly condition inspections.