Fatalities: Rentals vs Owned?

Interesting. I don't have any studies, but from a strictly maintenance
standpoint, I see things completely opposite. Every single rental
aircraft I have flown is meticulously maintained, by certificated and
qualified mechanics with factory training. I'm picky about what I fly.

Well, with FBOs hurting to make a penny, I can vouch for the fact that
they sometimes cut corners on maintenance to "keep 'em flying".

My '75 Warrior was such a bird. This was my first plane, back in '98,
and I bought it from a Wisconsin FBO who (unbeknownst to me at the
time) was in the process of going belly up. We found all sorts of
things wrong at the first annual, but the one that blew me away (and
could have killed me) was the fact that they had not installed the
proper length push-rods after replacing a cylinder.

When the cylinder failed (again) after less than 100 hours, my mechanic
found that that FBO simply had omitted the rotator cap, to make the
(too long) push rod work.

Obviously this is an extreme example, but I flew all sorts of rental
birds before then that were, well, rough. Knowing what I know now,
there are at least two that I should have refused to fly -- but I was
inexperienced with maintenance matters, as are most renters. When
you're a renter, you write stuff on a squawk sheet (if there *is* a
squawk sheet), and hope for the best, never knowing what (if anything)
is actually done.

I've had throttle cables break on rentals, I've had doors not latch,
I've experienced TWO complete electrical failures (in two different
planes, from two different FBOs), and I once drained over a QUART of
water from the tanks of a rental Cherokee.

As for owners who cut corners, I guess it depends on what you mean by a
"corner." If you mean installing a tractor light bulb instead of an
"aircraft" light bulb, sure, I know LOTS of owners like that. But I
don't know any owner who would cut a safety corner. I'm sure they're
out there, but I haven't met them.

I suppose there is no way to glean any kind of valid information from
the accident reports, but it sure seems like the rental fleet in some
markets is, at best, suspect.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
snip
If you mean installing a tractor light bulb instead of an
"aircraft" light bulb, sure, I know LOTS of owners like that.
Well, that's illegal. And I'm coming from a work standpoint here, but
you don't see mechanics doing that on transport catergory aircraft and
engines. Why should GA owners feel they are exempt from the same rules?
And I'll stop there before it turns into an EAA rant.

but it sure seems like the rental fleet in some
markets is, at best, suspect.
Maybe I've just had good luck, but I've never seen it.

Emily writes:

Every single rental
aircraft I have flown is meticulously maintained, by certificated and
qualified mechanics with factory training.

But who knows where those aircraft have been, and how pilots have
treated them when away from the eyes of their owners? For example, an
airframe could be overstressed and not show any visible anomalies,
until it fails.

--
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Jay Honeck writes:

If you mean installing a tractor light bulb instead of an
"aircraft" light bulb, sure, I know LOTS of owners like that. But I
don't know any owner who would cut a safety corner.

Why wouldn't a light bulb be important for safety?

--
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Dudley Henriques writes:

I've seen operations
that maintained their airplanes like a Swiss watch and many I wouldn't touch
with a 10 foot pole. I've seen owners who maintained perfectly and owners
whose airplanes I absolutely would not fly.

Is it a question of will, or a question of money?

--
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On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 09:31:55 +0200, Mxsmanic wrote:

Emily writes:

Every single rental
aircraft I have flown is meticulously maintained, by certificated and
qualified mechanics with factory training.

But who knows where those aircraft have been, and how pilots have
treated them when away from the eyes of their owners? For example, an
airframe could be overstressed and not show any visible anomalies,
until it fails.

Same argument could be made for *any* airplane...you don't know what the
previous owner did to it. But there are admittedly more people who have
previously flown a renter than a used plane. To quote myself, "Renting
airplanes is like renting sex: It's harder to arrange at short notice on
Saturday, you worry about what previous customers left for you, and someone is
always looking at their watch."

Ron Wanttaja

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 09:35:12 +0200, Mxsmanic wrote:

Jay Honeck writes:

If you mean installing a tractor light bulb instead of an
"aircraft" light bulb, sure, I know LOTS of owners like that. But I
don't know any owner who would cut a safety corner.

Why wouldn't a light bulb be important for safety?

Some are, some aren't. A landing light, for instance, is not required for night
flight. I've flown my plane at night, and it doesn't have one. Heck, it
doesn't have instrument lights, either... I used a chemlight.

If it *did* have a landing light, I'd feel no compunction about using a tractor
bulb instead. If one ain't required, there's no reason to get all formal about
it. It would at least feel at home with all the other "Aircraft and Tractor
Supply Company" and "Home Depot Aerospace" parts on board.... :-)


Ron Wanttaja

Ron Wanttaja writes:

Same argument could be made for *any* airplane...you don't know what the
previous owner did to it.

If it has a previous owner ... but a brand-new plane does not.

But there are admittedly more people who have previously flown
a renter than a used plane.

If they are anything like rental cars or other rental equipment, they
may be in very sorry shape.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 10:27:39 +0200, Mxsmanic wrote:

Ron Wanttaja writes:

Same argument could be made for *any* airplane...you don't know what the
previous owner did to it.

If it has a previous owner ... but a brand-new plane does not.

The average General Aviation aircraft is more than 30 years old. A new plane
requires a cash outlay an order of magnitude higher. And *no* buyer is the very
first person to fly the aircraft. Not all ferry pilots are as genteel as
NW_Pilot. :-)

But there are admittedly more people who have previously flown
a renter than a used plane.

If they are anything like rental cars or other rental equipment, they
may be in very sorry shape.

With one exception, the rental cars I've driven have been in pristine shape,
compared to the clapped-out 172s I rent every two years for my BFR. I've never
had a rental car more than a year old, haven't had a rental airplane less than
ten years old for at least the last 20 years. My last two personal cars were
bought used from the rental agencies. Both went to 100K miles with few problems
(GM cars, even).

(The rental-car exception was a Toyota rented at a location which had mostly
gravel roads. The rental agreement required that I clean any blood out of the
trunk before turning it back in....no, it wasn't New Jersey :-)

Ron Wanttaja

Ron Wanttaja wrote:


Some are, some aren't. A landing light, for instance, is not required for
night flight.

unless of course you are operating it for hire as required by
14 CFR 91.205(c)(4)

--Sylvain