Wings, Wheels and Water

Are owners required to comply with a Service Bulletin?

Posted on by

Does my aviation insurance policy require me to comply with a Service Bulletin?

I don’t know of any language in a policy that requires the owner to comply with a service bulletin. The policies will have language about having an aircraft that is in “current airworthiness”. That brings up the question, “What is required to make the plane airworthy?”

I personally think a SB is a recommendation and not required for Part 91 operations. I do think it is required for Part 135 operations. Also, I believe that if it is required by the manufacturer that you meet the SB then, I suppose, it would make it indirectly required.

But, don’t take my word on it. I would ask your mechanic or the FSDO office in your area

NMMA Action Alert:

Posted on by

Help Stop Federal Boat Permitting. Urge Your Senators to Cosponsor S. 2766, the Clean Boating Act of 2008
March 17, 2008

The Threat to Recreational Boating. Unless Congress acts soon, every recreational boater in the country will have to obtain a federal or state permit in order to operate their boat. This means yearly fees, bureaucratic red tape, confusing and potentially state-by-state regulations, citizen suits and $32,000 per day penalties for non-compliance. These permits would apply to deck run-off, bilge water, engine cooling water and any other water-based, operational discharge from a recreational boat.

The Environmental Protection Agency, due to a sweeping court order, is already writing this unprecedented new regulation on boaters.

The Clean Boating Act of 2008. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) have just introduced S. 2766, the Clean Boating Act of 2008. S. 2766 would fully and permanently restore a 35-year permit exemption for recreational boat incidental discharges, such as weather deck run-off and engine coolant water, and works to protect the health of the nation’s waterways by pursuing whether or not reasonable and practicable best management practices need to be put into place for some incidental discharges. This important bill preserves recreational boating and the boating industry, taking a balanced approached that recognizes that pleasure boat discharges are completely different from land-based industrial facilities and commercial ships.

What You Can Do Today to Protect Boating. NMMA strongly urges all its members and all boating industry employees to contact their Senators and tell them to co-sponsor S. 2766, the Clean Boating Act of 2008. You can quickly and easily send a letter to your Senators by visiting www.boatblue.org. Once, there, simply type in your zip code and click send. This is the most significant threat facing the boating industry today, and we need your help to solve it. Take 5 minutes to tell Congress to support S. 2766.

Contact your Senators

Contact Mat Dunn (mdunn@nmma.org; 202-737-9760) or Dylan Jones (djones@nmma.org; 202-737-9776) so we can follow up with your Senators.

Should you fly before you buy a plane?

Posted on by

If you sent a deposit to the seller and you made the effort to inspect the aircraft, you should get to fly the aircraft. Don’t let the seller tell you, “there is no need to fly aircraft, they all fly the same”.

Never buy an aircraft without flying it first!

Do you buy clothing, shoes or cars without trying them out first? You should apply the same consumer logic to an aviation transaction. If you can return the aircraft after you buy it, then your risk is reduced if you buy it without inspecting and flying it. But you usually don’t have that option.

Some reasons a seller may not want you to fly it first is; because it doesn’t have insurance on it, something is not functioning properly (not airworthy), it is out of annual and/or the owner isn’t current or qualified to fly.

If the seller won’t let you fly it before you buy it, how do you know it will fly home? You may not be able to fly as Pilot in Command due to the seller’s insurance policy but that shouldn’t prohibit you from being in the right seat. Single place aircraft raise another issue; you can’t fly with the seller.

Before you send a deposit or set out to inspect the aircraft, you should ask about test flying the aircraft and be cautious if you can’t ride or fly before you buy.