New regulation 8130-2G

The new regulation 8130-2G will put military jets aircraft under group 4 , 5 , 6 , 7.
I have my Broussard MH1521 under Group 2 so no more 300NM radius limitation.
To be in Group 4 or 5 you need to comply strictly with the manufacturer maintenance program and you will not have limitation about the proficency area if the aircraft was never equiped with ejection seats...
Some airplanes like L29, L39 does have an ejection seat :
You do not maintain the aircraft with hot seat, you will be under Group 6 with the famous 600NM radius.
But if you maintain the aircraft strictly with the manufacturer maintenance program who call to have ejection seat, your aircraft will be under Group 7 with the famous 600NM radius.
The new 8130-2G target aircraft with ejection seats...
Take a look under that new 8130-2G.

Pencil whip overhaul on Turbomeca Marbore

I saw with some aircraft owners that some Turbomeca Marbore II and VI had a Major overhaul done on the engine by some unscrupulous person entring in the engine log "inner and outer basket inspected and returned to service IAW maintenance manual limits for serviceable "
Turbomeca never , I said never authorised a Marbore II or VI to have a major overhaul without replacing the combustion chambers ( inner and outer ).
So be careful, instead of having an engine with fake 300hrs TTSMOH total time since major overhaul, you have an engine with real 2100 TTSMOH hours since real major overhaul so 300 hours past the TBO due time.
Be aware of theses pencil whipping overhauls.

Casa HA200 engine damage

After a call from a owner of a CASA HA200 who had vibrations on his right engine, I went to look after the problem.

The turbine blades was damaged beyond repair, a cooper seal was replaced by a so called garlock seal between tail pipe and engine ( only on Casa Jets ) who was manufactured without testing it, was coming apart and letting hot exhaust gas out in the engine compartment who could create an engine fire with all the oil and fuel lines in the area, it was a good call from the owner because it coud end up to a worst end.

Conclusion: engine need to be replaced.

More investigation will be done to find the reason why the turbine blades was damaged.

Hot Engines

After talking with some Fouga owners, a couple of engines disappearance started a couple of years ago from Texas .
At least for now 2 Turbomeca Marbore VI F2 and 2 Turbomeca Marbore II F3 for Finish Fouga serial
numbers 2248 and 3877 went AWOL.
Some other parts like brakes assy, ignitor boxes, ......
Thoses parts have serial numbers!.
The previous owners will let me kow thoses serial numbers.
When they will be published, look your logs, because you can be in possession of a stolen property, contact the owners before facing criminal charges.
One engine is a Marbore VI F2 S/N 10060.
If you have any information let me know that I can contact the owner.

Single jet aircraft versus Twin jet aircraft

This is imaginery but it can become real.
Two crews flying in a single and twin jet aircraft.
They have an engine problem and it is how they could react:

On single jet aircraft:

- I have a red engine oil pressure light and no pressure on the indicator.
- Let see what is happening...
- Now the engine ceased, no more power.
- We have a airport 20 miles away..
- Will not gonna make it!
- XXXX control Mayday....
- Procedure: Eject !
- Sorry but it was too expensive to have thoses seats hot ...
- Brace for impact.

On twin jet aircraft:

- I have a red engine oil light on the right engine and no pressure on the indicator.
- Just shut down the engine..
- Let's do the procedure with one engine out.
- Do we call the control?
- No it is not necesary, we can fly and control the aircraft.
- We have a airport at 74 miles with a long runway.
- You have control of the aircraft, let's go for it, and I will check the approaches.
- How is your son's doing at school?
- Not too bad, and if you want to come with your wife for diner next Saturday night, I will turn
on the barbecue.
- Ok, I'll bring the drinks
Later...
- Aircraft XXXX you are #3 for runway 13.
- Aircraft XXXX #3 for runway 13.
After landing: - I will call the mechanic to fix the engine problem.

Fouga flight Leg

Just for a safe flight do not plan a trip more than 300NM one way because you could run out of fuel before arriving at destination if you are planning a leg of more than 300NM.

A 1700NM trip

I was contacted to performed some maintenance on a Fouga who was bought, did not flew for some years, and had it ready with the help of a friend and his girlfriend in flying status again on a scheduled date agreed with the owner to bring his Fouga back to his home base.

California - Georgia 1700 nautical miles trip.

First trip KL71 to K40G California City to Vallee Airport

Departure under IFR flight plan and contact with Edwards Air Force Base for transit to the restricted areas, altitude 21000-23000 and landing at Vallee Airport.

Be carefull about the high altitude airport with short runway because you need to touch down faster and if you use too much the toebrakes, they becoming ineffective. Last option emergency breaking.

We was welcomed by Larry who helped us and told us that they was awaiting after a load of JetA because due to the fires the helicopters came and the tanker was empty, dry like a bone in the desert.

We had a option: 100LL in case of emergency is accepptable for the Fouga but under certain restrictions. Or since we had around 50USG left in the airplane and had to fly to Flagstaff 32NM away, to be on the safe side I went to the Gas Station and bought 50USG of diesel fuel .


Next short hops to KFLG Flagstaff :

VFR flight but haze due to the fires. Nice Airport
Time to fill up the fuels tanks and be ready to go to KABQ Albuquerque under IFR flight plan.

During that leg we encontered rim ice at 21000ft so we asked to go to 23000 and the contol was very helpfull to us



Leg KABQ with thunderstorms not to far from the airport at arrival

When you are used to land on a 60ft wide runway when you land on a 150ft wide runway you have tendancy to flair a little bit too high



Next leg KAMA Amarillo with the help of my backup NAV Ipad with GPS and synthetic vision.

Helpfull infos for a cheap price and accurate.

$200.00 for one year



Parked closed to military helicopter we decide the owner and myself to do the last leg of the day to KLIT Little Rock under night IFR flight plan .

On final at Little Rock passing 4000ft fog/condensation came out of the ACM outlet in the cabin an the owner with a perfect knowledge of the proceduresand improvised procedures urned the pressurization off and it cleared the condensation/fog within few seconds.

When we was taxiing to the general aviation parking we had to open the canopies and look outside becaused all canopies and windsheld was fogged out.

Next Morning KMSL Muscle Shoals or direct to KCZL Tom B David

The problem was that a direct flight to the home base was 360 NM and it was no safety margin for error.

After part of the trip done to KMSL and computation of the fuel burned we would have been short of 20USG of JetA to arrive at final destination for the direct flight to KCZL

So with the IFR conditions improving in KMSL we decided to aim for that airport.

During our decent to KMSL, we could see that all the airports to the north was VFR and the control told us the KMSL was still IFR.

So change of plan and ask to divert to Savannah Airport.

I helped the Lady on charge of the airport to refuel the Fouga and we was ready for the last leg to the home base.

The owner was happy to be on the last leg to his home base airport .

This time we going VFR.

After the climb to 15500 we was looking on the GPS the time before arrival...24minutes 15minutes 9minutes 3minutes and over KCZL airport. We stayed a little bit to perform some aileron rolls, maneuvers, like we did not wanted to land the Fouga and fly in freedom.

Finaly the fuel gage recall your attention that it is not forever. Downwind, 140kts gear down, 130kts Flaps 15 degres, base 120kts flaps 40 degres, final 110/120kts gear down, 3 green and touch down speed brakes out, power retarded nose up, 40kts nose down, brakes, and back up RWY35 to go back to the hangard.

Nice flight Ron

Marbore II replaced with Marbore VI

It is possible to install Marbore VIF2 instead of Marbore IIF3 it is called the Modification 410.

But you need to install some elements who was on the Fouga with Marbore VIF3.

If you do not follow everything that is what gona happen (photo): Tail pipe will touch the cowling, restrict the airflow, so higher engine temperatures, vibrations will damage the tail pipe and cowling.

An advise, if you do not know what you are doing, do not do it.

It could cost you the same amount to fix it.

Cheap brakes pads

Cheep imitations and costly in a long run !

After new brakes pads was bought for $900.00 garanteed to have been manufactured in the United States ( but printed at the back of the pads is written made in MEXICO), after 40-60 landing on 6000ft runway or longer and aerodynamic braking used on each landing, the brakes pads worn out need to be replaced because the cooper spacers are touching the discs.

The owner of Fouga, was kind of depressed and not happy to have to replaced the brakes pads sold by a fouga specialist after 60 conservative landings. It cost him $1,300.00 / 60 = +- $21.00 per landing.........

Be aware!, long reading but tell the reality

When it is too good to be true , it is not true. http://images.edocket.azcc.gov/docketpdf/0000107510.pdf