I think if I were in the business of sending people around the country to jack up airplanes and inspect them, I might spring for some really solid Errors and Omissions insurance, just in case.

Not to minimize the excitement/fear of jacking up an airplane.  I’ve done it alone many times, several times just trying to figure a way to make the “retractable” step actually work, before I finally gave up and disconnected the cable and just locked it down.

Lowering the plane, especially when you’re the only guy in the hangar, is equally hair raising.  Lower one side just a little, hear the fuel swish to the lower wing, lower the other side, hear the fuel run the other way.  That’s where all my gray hair came from.

Conventional “wisdom” is that everyone who flies retractable will eventually land gear up.  I think I’m personally more likely to knock my bird off the jacks and ram one right through something very important than to land gear up.  I think.  I hope.  I think I hope.  I hope I think.  Not sure.  I will confess to always having the tail and both wing tips supported before ever getting in the bird while jacked up.

John Hafen
IVP 413AJ 150 hours


On 7/13/09 8:50 PM, "Michael D. Smith" <mdpilot982@gmail.com> wrote:

Craig,
 
No kidding on this one.  If I paid some professional to do a task and he represented himself as the pro and willingly took on the job and the contract was that he would do it then he is  responsible.  If the job requires certain skills and equipment then it is up to him to apply the standard.  Sorry, no complex interpretation here.
 
 
Michael Smith

From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Craig Gainza
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 8:43 PM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Re:

<if Lancair or the agent of Lancair  were setting out to do an off site inspection prudence would suggest they were required in fact to assure the jacks and lifting mechanism of whatever type and the people involved were competent>

You have got to be kidding me!